


Gods Among Us

by pistashanut



Category: Dark Avengers (Comic), Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Earth, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Asgard, Asgard (Marvel), Asgardian Loki (Marvel), Avenger Loki (Marvel), Avengers Tower, BAMF Loki (Marvel), Demigods, Detectives, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Inaccurate Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Marvel Norse Lore, Mount Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Original Character(s), Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Loki (Marvel), References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:54:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 110,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25045711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pistashanut/pseuds/pistashanut
Summary: Asgard and Olympus, through Athena, have been partners in protecting the realms for millennia. The new age came and Athena appointed a new guardian demigod to protect Earthrealm.The guardian was called for duty when the Greek god of war threatened the life of one of Odin’s sons. This event pushed the Olympian demigod to work with the Asgardian brothers, along with their few mortal allies.A Loki x Greek demigoddess fic.
Relationships: Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s), Loki & Avengers Team, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel)/Original Character(s), Loki (Marvel)/Original Character(s)/Reader, Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Thor & Avengers Team
Comments: 65
Kudos: 91





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The idea here was 'what if there was a Greek demigod who knows Odin and Frigga and she also knew Thor and Loki?'. Also, I read Loki: Where Mischief Lies and I couldn't get enough of Loki so I fell into the rabbit hole and started writing.
> 
> This was a dexterous task since I had to figure out how much of the current MCU canon should I include, how much should I add (it's safe to say 90% was added), and when I should start and end. Turns out I created a new AU.
> 
> It was also kind of a crazy project because Greek gods and Asgardians are on the same level and I haven't read enough Rick Riordan books to know how Greek demigods incorporated themselves into the modern world. I’m winging it.
> 
> This was one crazy idea that kept me busy for the whole quarantine. I loved how this went by and even as a writer I freaked out about my own story (lol). I hope you'll enjoy this journey as much as I did!
> 
> Lastly, I'd like to thank my best friend Emmy for being my patient beta reader for this fic! 💜

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years after Loki lead the Chitauri to Earth, another god was after the crystals he once possessed.

### Prologue

It was a chilly, silent night in Asgard as everyone settled in. The palace was quiet. Thor had retired to his chambers, fast asleep. Loki, on the other hand, was still sitting on his window, skimming through an old leather-bound book and sometimes glancing up the night sky.

It was getting late and he didn’t notice it. Sleep hadn’t come so he closed the book and got off the window to get another book from the table in the middle of his room. With only his reading lamp perched on a hook by the window to illuminate the whole room, Loki used his hands to feel the book he was looking for. He didn’t even bother to use his magic to light up his room; he just wanted to have a peaceful and normal night to calm himself down after a full day of running around the palace and doing princely work shoved to him by Odin and his council. As he picked up his second book, his arm was grabbed from behind, folded and pinned it to his back. He grunted, tried to yank his arm free but a knife’s blade rested on his neck. The grip on his arm was strong and he could feel a large hand encircling his thin arm.

“Where’s the mind crystal?” the perpetrator asked in a hushed tone. It was a man’s voice, deeper than Odin or Thor.

With all his might, Loki made a step back, pushing the man with him, and managed to kick the heavy, wooden table to cause an alarm. From his room, Thor heard the loud bang and he immediately got up, extending his hand for the Mjölnir. He rounded up the guards as they ran to Loki’s room.

Loki managed to free himself by replacing himself with an illusion and conjured his knives, defending himself from the unknown man. Loki assessed the stranger in his room. The man was taller and more muscular than Thor. His body was covered in a brass chest plate. His wrists also had brass bracers. On his left shoulder was a lion’s faceplate made of brass. A sword was attached on his back, covered with a red, circular shield with gold margins covering most of his back - chipped, dented, and holed, remnants of the battle this man has been on. The man was bald, save for a row of hair that remained at the center of his head. The rest of the man’s attire was familiar for Loki: black combat boots, black combat trousers, black shirt. The man’s outfit was something Loki has never seen before. This man is too big for a Midgardian and his armors are definitely not Asgardian or from anywhere under Asgard’s jurisdiction.

Loki was dodging every stab the man threw until their knives clashed and the man unarmed him. With one knife left, Loki used his magic to create multiple copies of himself so he could attack from different directions, scratching the man. “What mind crystal?” he replied even though he knows exactly what the man was talking about.

“Brother!” Thor bellowed as he entered the room with the guards. Suddenly, multiple shadow people appeared and started attacking the newcomers. The man seemed to summon the beings while he was busy fighting Loki.

Loki suddenly felt a shift in the air that ended his illusion. He looked at his enemy and his hands were already glowing yellow. Loki hid his knife and started to envelope himself in a force field as the man blasted him with his power but it backfired, throwing the attacker to the stone wall.

“Who are you?!” Loki asked angrily as he tried to paralyze the man with his sorcery.

The man whipped his hand, knocking Loki off his feet with magic, pulled him, and picked him up by the neck. “I am Ares, the god of war. Now, where is the mind crystal?”

Loki grasped the arm sustaining Ares’ chokehold and blasted his energy on the bracers, causing the latter to scream and drop him. "Oh, about that, you’re two years too late,” he replied as he bound Ares with his magic, "and who are you to enter Asgard?”

Ares managed to bust himself out of Loki’s binding. Loki looked at him, surprised. Ares was stronger than him. He looked at his brother and the guards who were still busy. With all his might, Loki ran towards the man and he threw them out his window, landing in a roll on the Palace grounds.

“Everyone, move!” Thor commanded as they scrambled out of Loki’s room. On the way, Odin collided with Thor. “Someone has attacked Loki,” he informed his father. Odin grabbed his Gungnir and ran after him.

As Loki and Ares were fighting, a loud boom was heard from a distance and a bright white light flashed before the two gods’ eyes. Loki put up his arm to shield his eyes from the blinding light and felt the god was being grabbed from him.

True enough, someone from out of nowhere kicked Ares to the ground. He adjusted his eyes and he heard the Allfather yell “Stand down! Stand down! No one attacks the woman!”

_The...woman?_

Loki ran towards his brother, who had smashed his hammer to the shadow warrior, which was surprisingly as solid as the god of thunder himself. They both watched what was happening before them.

“You pesky mortal!” They heard Ares bellow as he swung his sword to the woman.

"Mortal? You know what I am," she retorted. She pulled her sword from her back and clashed onto Ares’. Ares pulled his shield from behind but a blue light flashed from the woman’s hands. It wrapped around the shield like a rope. The woman tugged on the light rope and yanked the shield from Ares.

“How dare you!” Cried Ares.

“Too dependent on your shield? I thought you’re the god of war?” The woman taunted. Ares was looking like a giant in front of her. The woman was also shorter than the Asgardians around them but Loki didn’t think she was an Asgardian. “You shouldn’t be here in the first place!”

Ares’ nose flared and he charged at the woman. She blocked his blows until the blue light appeared and coiled around the god like a snake. The woman returned her sword on her back and conjured blue light on her hands, restricting Ares further as he struggled.

“Is that a Valkyrie?” Loki pondered.

“No. I don’t think so. Valkyries don’t have sorcery. She looks like a sorcerer.” Thor glances at his younger brother. “Do you happen to know her?” Loki shook his head. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” he replied as the woman clasped brass cuffs on Ares’ wrists, making him scream in pain and drop to his knees. She then bound him with her magic and placed a mask on his mouth. “She’s a sorcerer. But how can she be so strong?”

“You’re strong yourself,” Thor muttered.

He looked at him. "Naturally." 

“Your highness." She dropped to her knees. “On behalf of all the Olympians, I greatly apologize for this inconvenience,” she said, eyes trained on the ground.

“Olympians?” Loki muttered. Thor just gave him a shrug.

The brothers observed their father. Odin was not pissed whatsoever. There’s a pleasant look on his face, in fact. “Child of Zeus, rise,” Odin said, gesturing for her to stand.

She stood up. Loki studied her attire. No, she isn’t a Valkyrie. Her armor’s gold plated, with accents of white. She has two swords attached, crossing her back. Each sword is about 3 inches wide and 3 feet long. She looks sleek, definitely born for precision and speed like him. Could be a worthy opponent.

“You do not need to apologize for your brother’s behavior.”

“With all due respect, your majesty, he isn’t my brother.” she interrupted. Ares made a muffled disagreement behind her and she extended her right hand to his direction, creating small lightning bolts from her fingertips, sending spasms all over him.

“Ah,” Odin said and gave her an empathetic smile. “I have been in communication with Athena regarding the safety of our realms but I did not expect there will be an immediate show of force from an Olympian.”

The woman dropped her gaze in embarrassment. “If I may, I would like to bring him back to Zeus for his trial, considering that this is a family affair.”

“Child,” Odin approached her, “it would be ideal if he should be tried here -” he paused and peered at Ares “-but, it would be the best since Asgard also has numerous matters to attend to.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she bowed once more. “If there is anything else you would need for the damages done by Ares, any reparations, please do not hesitate to send a message to Athena.”

“Very well.” The woman turned to walk to Ares. Odin was about to rejoin his soldiers when he stopped and called for the woman. The woman faced him. “Thank you for saving my son.” he sincerely declared. Loki felt his insides melt when he heard Odin call him ‘his son’, though he did not let his expression betray him.

The woman gave Loki a once over and he felt something swell inside him, a feeling he couldn’t describe. “You’re welcome. It is my pleasure,” she smirked and she walked to her prisoner. She gave Odin a small nod, then she moved her hands and blue wisps appeared around her and Ares. A blinding blue light bursts around them and they are gone, like a star’s death.

Odin approached Loki and held him by his arms. “How are you feeling?” Loki was surprised the Allfather did this. He never was affectionate towards him but here he was, asking him how he was feeling.

Loki placed his hand on his chest, still feeling that unknown, swelling sensation inside mixed with surprise and confusion. “I’m not quite sure what to think,” he replied.

“It’s alright.” Odin patted Loki’s shoulder.

“Who was that?” he inquired.

Odin turned to look at the spot where the woman and Ares were last seen. “Our allies from another realm.”

“Including the man who attacked?”

He thought for a moment. “An ally, then.” he slightly bowed his head and left him with Thor.

“What did the man want from you, brother?” Thor probed Loki when they reunited.

“He said he wanted the mind crystal, the scepter.” Loki dropped his voice when he said the last words.

Thor nodded thoughtfully. “And who did he say he was?”

“Ares. He claims he is the god of war.” he paused. “Did the Allfather say ‘Olympians’? Zeus?” Loki whispered as they walked.

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“The young gods. Did he say ‘child of Zeus’?” Thor nodded. “Explains the magic and her power. But there’s something else. Something else in her that I can’t pinpoint.”

“Who’s Zeus?”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki said in disbelief. “Is that a jest?”

“No. I’m afraid I am serious.”

“What…” Loki stopped and folded his arms, shifted his weight to his right leg, away from Thor. “We have a multitude of books about other realms, surely you have encountered Zeus?” Thor just gave him an apologetic smile. “By the gods…” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. “Fine. Zeus, he’s like you. He wields the power of the sky and thunder.”

“And he has a child?”

“Those two are his children. Athena as well, the other one she mentioned. I wonder why the woman denied her affinity to him.” Thor chuckled. Loki looked back. “I swear if you say another unintelligible thing -”

“Sounds familiar.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he muttered and they parted ways.


	2. Ground Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse me while I put the chapter numbers in the text itself :)

### Chapter 1: Ground Zero

The small village of Kalambaka sat still. Huge holes can be seen on the walls of the houses and establishments. The remnants of last night’s slumber in empty bedrooms. Dogs and cats run about on the empty streets.

A small, fluffy, white dog came out whimpering from another abandoned house. “Hey there, little fella.” a woman crooned, kneeling to the ground to coax the dog out. “It’s okay,” she said gently as the dog approached her cautiously. She offered her curled hand for the dog to sniff, “I won’t hurt you.” The dog licked her hand and nudged his head on it. “Good boy,” she picked him up. She opened a biscuit from her pocket and fed a piece to the dog. “Can you tell me where everybody is?”

“Detective,” the radio clipped on her belt cackled. “There are no signs of life in area D.”

The woman sighed and picked up her radio. “Neither in my area. I’m coming over.”

She arrived in area D, the last area on their list. Search and rescue dogs sniff the ground hoping for a sign, a heartbeat. She climbed the rubble of what used to be a tourist shop. “Poor baby got left behind,” she said as she showed the fluffy pooch to the man.

“Nothing’s in here. We have shuffled the rocks and everything. The dogs can’t even pick up a human scent or whatever. They’re getting agitated.” the man replied.

“Could this be an earthquake?” She wondered, eyes squinting at the wrecked town.

“Impossible. There are no reports of an earthquake over the past 24 hours -”

“And an earthquake can’t blast a hole into a wall,” she added, gesturing to a house. “If we can, have a word with the monks up there; ask them if they noticed something strange over the night, that would be great.” One of the search dogs sat beside her. “It’s okay, buddy,” she rubbed the dog between its ears. “We’ll figure this out.” the dog reached up to her, wanting to smell the fluffy dog. “Yeah, why don’t you take care of Mister Fluffy here?” she placed the white dog next to the rescue dog and they sniffed each other’s butts.

“I have a feeling this place was attacked but everyone managed to evacuate before it happened.” another woman said as she approached them.

“We’ll ask for a list of everyone who was in this town for the past 48 hours and search from there. It might be someone disguised as a tourist. What do you think, Alexis?”

“Good idea. I’ll call Kris.” the man left them on top of the rubble.

“Detective Lords, I think you should see this.” the newcomer said and they walked to another abandoned house. “Most of the damaged areas in the houses are walls. Starting from the front door,” the woman pointed to the obliterated entrance, “then to the bedrooms.”

“Most of the rooms that were attacked were bedrooms,” Detective Lords added and felt a pinch in her chest. She had a bad feeling about this. “The hotel down the road doesn’t have holes in all of its rooms.” she looked at the second woman, wide-eyed.

“Are you saying…”

 _I hope it isn’t what I think happened_ , Detective Lords thought.

“Let’s go,” Detective Lords commanded and they hurriedly left the house, the woman trailing behind. When they arrived at the once lively hotel, the detective pulled the hotel’s logbook from the blasted front desk and walked up the stairs. As they passed by each room, she ticked off the rooms whose walls were blasted. When they reached the rooftop, they scanned the pages of the guest list from the past 48 hours. “Christ, this isn’t good.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

They looked over at the damaged town from their view. “The damaged rooms were the ones with guests. Whoever attacked this town wanted carnage. This must have been a terrorist attack.”

“But why are there no traces of blood or gunshot holes?”

“No idea why. I just don’t understand how this happened.” She gave the logbook to her. “Go down there and find Alexis. Tell them what we found out.” 

Once the woman left the building, Detective Lords checked the surroundings to see if there was anyone else with her. When the coast was clear, she entered a damaged room. She flicked her hands and blue wisps danced around her. “Okay, show me any residue of foreign energy,” she whispered to herself as she took a look at her radiation meter - it shows nothing significant. The wisps scattered and some settled on the cement fragments on the ground and on the bed. She knelt beside the bed and studied the residue. It was yellow, and it was surely a result of sorcery.

“I have a strong feeling this was not done by any human.” a man spoke.

She pressed herself to the nightstand surprised to hear an unfamiliar voice. “Who are you?” she asked as she stood up. “How did you get in here?” Her right hand rested at the butt of her gun holstered on her waist.

The man before her noticed her movement. He clasped his hands behind him“I just told your team the Ministry of National Defense sent me to assess the situation.”

The detective raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of the man with an eye patch. “So you’re not really part of the Hellenic Ministry of National Defense?” she scoffed.

“Hmmm, not really. Well, yes, I can be.” he started looking around. “And that’s a long-ass name.” the man walked around the room. “So what are your findings, Detective Stella Nystrom?” the man raises his hand to touch Stella’s blue wisp settling on a yellow spark.

Stella looked at him in disbelief upon hearing the name. “Who are you?” she said defensively, closely observing the man through narrowed eyes.

“Oh yes, where are my manners.” The man showed her his ID. “Nick Fury. I’m with S.H.I.E.L.D.”


	3. No One Moving On

### Chapter 2: No One Moving On

Tony Stark was tinkering with a prototype tech in his lab when J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke, “Mr. Stark, Nick Fury just arrived. He said he wanted to have a word with you.”

Tony didn’t stop working. “Oh really? What does he want this time?” he mumbled. “Where’s he now, Jarvis?”

“Behind you, Stark.”

Tony dropped the tweezers when he heard Nick Fury speak. “Jesus Christ, you could’ve knocked!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” Fury said sternly and approached his desk.

“He said he has some pressing matters to discuss, Tony,” Pepper said from behind him.

Tony spun on his chair to face her and sighs. “And you’re here too.” he spun back to face Nick Fury. “So, what brought you here?”

"We have a problem." 

"Uh, isn't that the only reason for you to enter this building?" Tony replied cockily.

“The tesseract has been stolen _again_.” Fury stated, with an emphasis on the last word.

Stark face-palmed. “Is it Loki _again_?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I thought you guys had it? How did it get stolen?”

“That’s what we’re figuring out right now. Someone working inside must’ve worked on that.”

Stark chuckled. “You need to do some serious deep cleaning within the organization, Fury. And I am surprised no one has shot you by now."

Fury side-eyed him. “I’ll do that while you and the others find the tesseract and I have my eyes open,” he replied strictly. “Another thing, a small town in Greece was attacked yesterday.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of that. Jarvis, can you pull up the images from Kalambaka?” Images of the wrecked town appear in front of them. “What’s the connection of this and the tesseract?”

“About that, I visited the site and it seems that it was done by an extraterrestrial being.”

“Really now? Is it Loki?”

“We’re not sure but isn’t he on some kind of probation in Asgard?” Fury furrowed his eyebrows and Tony just shrugged.

“That’s another way of saying he’s incarcerated but, okay, whatever.”

“There were no bloodstains, no gunshot holes. No sign of dead bodies. Nothing.” Fury ignored him and handed him a folder.

“You should know by now that I don’t like being handed things.” Stark folds his arms across his chest.

Fury resorted to placing the folder on the desk. “Those are the findings from Kalambaka. It does talk about the possible non-human attack.” he stood up. “How can we contact Thor?”

“Isn’t that your line of expertise?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “Send a raven? Or an owl? And why do you need him?”

“You might need to talk to him about Loki, he might be doing some underground work again.” 

"Does the MO look like Loki’s?"

"No idea but this time it seems there are no survivors. No one can tell us if a weird, tall man with gold horns came in the middle of the night to wreak havoc." Fury placed a finger on the folder. “The woman who wrote the report is some kind of a sorceress. You might want to talk to her. She might have an idea who did it.”

“Do you intend to add someone to the team?”

“If that is the case for this then yes. I think you’ll need each other.” Stark opened the folder and saw an agent profile. It was a file for a certain Stella Nystrom. “I talked to her and she was not that convinced that I work for the good guys. I need anyone of you to talk her into this. We need her.”

“Why not send Natasha in? That’s her specialty.”

“Your call, Stark. Detective Lords isn’t easy to convince.”

“Mr. Stark,” J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted, “Thor has entered the premises.”

Tony spread his arms. “Voila! Let him in, Jarvis.” After a minute the elevator doors opened and Thor and Loki appeared. “Jarvis, you didn’t say it was Thor AND Loki. Quelle surprise.”

“We heard we were needed?” Thor said as they approached Tony Stark and Nick Fury. Seeing them wearing Midgardian clothes was still weird for Tony. Thor was wearing a shirt underneath a maroon hoodie and jeans while Loki is wearing an all-black ensemble - buttoned-up shirt, tie, suit, slacks, and shoes. All black from head to toe. Weird duo to be seen walking around together in the city.

“Yeah. Have you heard of what happened in Kalambaka?” Tony asked them. “And why is Voldemort here?” Tony checked his wrists to see if the bands were still there, ready to summon his suit if needed. Fury stood still, his eye locked on Loki.

“Yes, the village was attacked. What about it?” Thor replied.

“Do you happen to have any information about who did it?” Tony said a little accusingly and threw a glance at Loki.

“For the record, I was in Asgard when it happened,” Loki interjected.

“I wasn’t trying to say it was you,” Stark replied, trying to sound innocent. "What's with the umbrella? Weather forecast said there will be no rain in the next 5 days. Or are you planning to make it rain?"

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. "If Midgard gets too hot then I might," Thor joked as he playfully tossed the said object.

"It's his hammer," Loki said straightforwardly.

Stark grinned at Thor. "Finally figured out how to do that, huh?"

Fury cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he interrupted, “I was trying to figure out how to contact you, Thor. But it seems that you are already here, and it’s the two of you -”

“I can’t leave him behind.” Thor interrupted Fury back. Loki heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Besides, our father wanted both of us to see what happened in Kalambaka. He said there was unusual magical activity in the area. He wanted Loki to be on the case.”

"I bet you all are thrilled." Loki lifted his chin as he spoke.

“Uh, any way for us to speak to your father? I’d like to object,” Tony remarked.

"Is it really necessary?" Fury threw a side-glance at Thor.

"It is Odin's request, Director Fury. The Allfather will not let him do this if he sees that it will lead to destruction."

Tony scratched his chin. “I bet he didn’t see New York coming,” he muttered. "I actually didn't expect to see you walking freely after 3 years."

Fury and Tony looked at Loki, who was reading something from the screens. Loki felt their eyes on him. "I suggest that you trust me on this. I have been sent to multiple missions like this and I never fail." He bared them a grin that’s trying to be friendly.

“If I could easily say ‘sorry, mate, hard pass’, I would. But I don’t know what your father will say about that,” Tony remarked.

“I’ll have my eyes on my brother. He is also my responsibility,” Thor assured them, which Loki rolled his eyes on.

“Just remember, Thor. One wrong move from your little brother and I won’t hesitate to blast him out of Earth. Understood?”

“You have my word, Stark.”

Tony blinked off the uneasiness creeping up his shoulders. “And there you go. I think they got this covered,” Tony told Fury rather reluctantly. “Any thoughts on it?” He referred back to Loki.

“It surely wasn’t Midgardian.” Nick and Tony nodded in agreement. “Also not Asgardian, we can assure you.” Thor and Loki looked at each other.

“Alright, can we have your word?” The brothers acknowledged Fury's inquiry. “Regarding that, I need you to speak to someone. I have already talked to her but she doesn’t seem to believe me and I have a feeling you have crossed paths with her.”

“I thought this was my call to send Natasha?” Tony interrupted.

“I think it’s better if we leave this to the Asgardians. I believe you know her,” Fury told Thor.

“Who is this Midgardian?” Thor asked.

Loki, on the other hand, was one step ahead of his brother. He picked up the file Fury brought in and saw the profile. A lightbulb lit inside his head when he saw the photo. “Is it this woman?” he showed everyone the page.

“Yes.”

Loki looked at the photo of the woman. Stella Nystrom. So that was her name. Her dark hair was tied to the back. Her fierce, brown eyes looked straight to the camera. Her plump, pinkish lips were trying to control a smirk. He felt that warm feeling once more after pushing it down since the first time he felt it. “I know her.” he finally said after a moment. “Thor, it was her.” he passed the folder to his brother.

“Ah, yes. It is her.” Thor agreed.

“Okay. My job here is done. I’ll leave you to do that while I do a deep clean.” Fury glanced at Tony and left the floor.


	4. The Demigod

### Chapter 3: The Demigod

Hours later, Thor and Loki were standing in front of a police station in the middle of a busy Grecian street. The station was covered in posters of missing persons in all languages, flipping like flaglets. The brothers studied the pictures, showing individual persons as well as families missing together. There were also groups huddled together by the door. Loki inched closer to eavesdrop.

“The last time I talked to him was in the afternoon. He said Kalambaka was beautiful,” a woman, with a heavy Italian accent, shared with the group as she controlled her sobbing. “I never thought that would be the last time I get to hear my son.”

“I wonder how they died. There were no bodies,” another woman said, who sounds like a French person.

“How about you, sir?” A man interrupted Loki’s concentration. He looked down at the man. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Uh, I’m…” He paused as he looked for his brother. Thor was talking to another group of people looking for their missing loved ones. “I’m looking for my brother.”

The man nodded and patted Loki’s arm. He instinctively flinched and wanted to swat the man’s hand away but he decided against it and allowed the man to do it, thinking he would allow this from a Midgardian, if this gesture gives the man any comfort. “Hopefully we will find our families.” The man gave him a sad smile. Loki’s jaw clenched and gave him a curt nod.

He left the group to pull Thor back to the mission. “I have a question,” Loki started. “Do we really have to work with the Avengers?” Loki made quotation marks in the air when he said “the Avengers”.

Thor, whose brows are furrowed in disappointment, studied his brother. “We have to. This also concerns Midgard.”

“But I can work on this, without even putting Midgard in peril, if that’s what you want.” Loki glanced lazily at him, arms crossed on his chest.

“Oh, really?” Thor snarked. 

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. “Don’t even start on that..”

But Thor was on a different page. “Father specifically instructed us to work together on this. You on finding out what is going on with the tesseract -”

“La, la, la, la…”

“-you team up with the demigod guardian-”

“La, la, la, la…”

Thor’s anger was rising up. “-and we have to work with the Avengers.” Thor pressed the handle of his umbrella on Loki’s chest. Thunder rumbled from a distance. Loki stepped back and raised his arms, feeling the weight of Mjölnir. “Are you even listening?”

Loki laughed sarcastically. “I heard you perfectly, Thor.” He patted his shoulder. “But I can really do this on my own.”

“We need Lady Lords. She knows who we’re facing.”

Loki groaned. Despite his want to see her again, he still badly wanted to work on the tesseract case on his own. But he kept this sentiment of his. There is no way he will tell Thor about it. “Fine, fine! At least I won’t get shoved in a box unconscious this time.”

“Who would even do that?” Thor asked.

 _Theo and the SHARP society did_ , Loki thought.

“Are we going in together or just me?” Thor asked Loki.

“Are we really going to have this discussion? Of course, we are going in together.” Loki said and started going up the stairs. “Come on then, hen.” Thor followed his brother.

“Hi, there,” Thor said in an upbeat manner to the police officer who was on the front desk. The police officer gawked at the two gods towering over him. “We are looking for Detective Stella Nys-”

“Stella Lords,” Loki interrupted quickly. “We are here for Detective Stella Lords.” He glared at his brother. The police officer stared at him, still fazed. Loki found this quite annoying and leaned forward. “Did you hear me,” Loki said in Greek. His gaze hovered at the man's nameplate pinned on his chest, "Officer Simonides?" 

The police officer snapped from his daze. “I’m sorry. What are you here for? Are you here for your missing loved ones? The table over there -” he pointed at the desk near the door “-caters for those concerns.”

Thor smiled at him. “But we’re not here for the missing loved ones. We are here for Detective Lords, specifically.”

The man’s forehead crunched. “She’s rather tied up with the Kalambaka case and she instructed us to only notify her of highly important matters.”

Loki’s patience was as thin as a thread by this time but he tried so hard not to show it. “We are here for an urgent matter that we have to discuss with the Detective,” he said, his voice feigning friendliness. Thor glanced at him with a frown, hoping his brother won’t brandish a knife in the middle of a Midgardian police station.

“Do you have an appointment with Detective Lords?”

“Just get us to her!” Loki snarled, throwing the officer off guard.

He froze and blinked. “Ah yes. I’m sorry,” he mumbled and picked up the phone. “Detective Lords, there are two men here who wanted to see you,” the officer said in Greek. “She asked who you are.”

“Tell her the Asgardians,” Thor replied in Greek as well.

“Asgardians,” the officer repeated the word slowly, unsure if it was happening for real or not. “Right. They said they were the Asgardians?” the officer nodded and put down the phone. “Her office is at the back. Go straight, then right. You won’t miss it.”

Loki grinned at him. “Well, that was easy. Thank you very much, Midgardian,” he said in English and they started walking. “Didn’t you read her profile? She refers to herself as Lords, not Nystrom.” he hissed at his brother.

“But Nystrom was the one written on top of the page.”

Loki sighed. “She could blast you back to Asgard if she hears you call her Nystrom.”

“But why not use Nystrom?”

Loki stopped walking and faced his brother. “Leave it be. She possibly has her reasons and we stay out of it. Clear?”

“Alright,” Thor said and they turned right. “Ah, here it is.” They stopped at a door that said ‘Detective Stella Lords’. Thor opened the door. "Lady Stella Lords! Daughter of Zeus!" he boomed.

Loki winced. _Ah, yes. Announce her secret to the world, brother. That will definitely get you in her good graces_.

“Ah yes, the Asgardian brothers.” Stella looked up from her paper-covered desk when they entered. Loki took a good look at her. Her hair was fixed in a messy bun, a few loose strands framing her face and accentuating her brown, almond-shaped eyes. She was wearing a buttoned-up white shirt with sleeves folded up to her elbows. He remembered her flushed face the first time he saw her, taking down a god who tried to slice his head off. The woman before them was far from that warrior who saved him. “To what do I owe this visit?” she said.

Thor and Loki, being the well-built warrior gods of Asgard, have occupied most of the space in Stella's already cramped office. They sat down in front of her desk upon her invitation. "Apologies for the mess. Earthrealm cases have been filling up most of my time."

"I was not aware you do detective work apart from being…" Loki paused to think of the right word.

"Being Olympus' liaison for all the other realms, yes," Stella finished his sentence for him.

"Is that what you call it?" Thor asked. "The Allfather said you were a guardian." 

"Kind of like that." she tapped a finger on her desk. "So, is this about Kalambaka?" Loki nodded. "What do you know? Did Heimdall see anything peculiar aside from people disappearing out of nowhere?" 

"We had difficulties determining who did that. Heimdall could not see who it was." Thor replied. “But he did mention whoever attacked the town made everyone disappear.”

“Yes. True enough we cannot locate every single person who is in town, locals nor tourists,” she said as she pats the file on her desk. “Our phones are ringing non-stop, receiving calls from all around the world.” She looked up from the folder she was reading and leaned back on the chair. “I’ve never seen this kind of attack ever in my life,” she said, her eyes distant and defeated. “It is possible someone obliterated them with dark magic.”

"Is there a possibility that it would be Ares?" Loki asked. 

She looked at him and leaned on the desk. "He's incarcerated. Except if he has someone working for him. Would you like to visit the site?" 

"How far is it from here?"

"We'll walk for a few seconds, find an empty alleyway, and we'll take it from there." she stood and put her gun in her holster. 

"Are you saying we're going to -" 

"Yes, we are." Stella didn't let Loki finish. "Don't worry, I'll handle it." They left her office. "You don't need to use your powers; as I understand it diminishes when you're here in the Earthrealm." 

"Not really," Loki replied arrogantly. "Why do you have a gun?" 

"Standard issue." They left the station. "I couldn't tell them I can conjure magic from my hands, they'll impale me." 

"They still do that?" Thor said and Loki side-eyed him for that ridiculous question. 

"I'm just kidding, Thor. They would actually burn me." Stella replied seriously and Thor got it this time and chuckled. Loki smirked. They turned to an empty alley and hid behind a wall. Stella snapped and Loki felt like they were in a thick glass case. She opened her right palm and a ball of blue light appeared. Then she covered it with her left hand and...

They were in the middle of the wrecked town. Thor and Loki looked around. Loki could immediately feel the vibration of the magic used to destroy the town. He sighed heavily as they tread on.

"You can feel it, don't you?" Stella asked him when he caught up with her. "At first I was trying not to think about it but I gave in."

"I believe sorcery was indeed involved here, and it is possible that was the reason why everyone disappeared," Loki answered. Stella flicked her hand to the rubble and the blue wisps settled on the debris to show the yellow residue of magic. Loki knelt and poked at the residue. The residue reacted to his energy and the rubble vibrated violently. 

"What was that?" Thor asked and the yellow residue moved in front of them, piling up on each other until it looked like a person as built as Thor. 

"It's a Mres warrior!" Stella said and she and Loki simultaneously conjured a protective force field around the three of them.

“Does that answer your question, brother?” Loki tells Thor.

While they were covered in a mist of blue and green, the Mres warrior hacked their shield with a spear. The impact caused a boom, toppling the warrior. 

Loki raised his hand to lift a huge chunk of cement using his magic and threw it at the attacker's direction, hitting the head. "It's solid, alright," Thor said and he stepped out of the force shield, already clutching Mjölnir. He swung the hammer to the warrior, hitting it on the chest. 

The warrior fell back. Loki and Stella extinguished their force shield and they started attacking the beast with their magic. When the beast managed to stand up, Stella blasted her energy into the chest. Little did she know Loki also thought of it. Blue and green beams sank into the beast's chest. It wailed and exploded, sending puffs of yellow debris into the air. 

"It's Ares. Definitely his work," she said after the air settled. 

"Do you hear that?" Thor asked them. Loki and Stella looked at him. "I hear footsteps."  
They stood in silence. From a distance, they could hear a crunching sound of a shoe stepping on gravel. Stella walked towards the direction of the sound, followed by the Asgardians. She snapped her fingers and the sound of their steps disappeared. Stella raised a fist, signaling them to stop before she entered another house.

"You shouldn't be here." they heard her say.

They followed her and saw that she's pointing her gun to a man inside the house, his back facing them. The man turned to face them. "This will be my father's land." the man said and his eyes glowed yellow. 

Stella holstered her gun and a sword appeared in her right hand. "Who are you?" 

Loki and Thor readied themselves for an attack. They slowly walked closer to Stella. The man picked up a sword from the ground and walked towards her. As he was walking, his outfit changed into an armor. "I am a son of Ares," he said as he extended the sword to Stella.

Stella's outfit changed into her white and gold armor they are familiar with, losing her Midgardian detective outfit. "A demigod, huh?" she said.

In less than a minute, the man closed their distance and swung his sword to her left. Stella blocked it with her cuffed arm and kicked him square on the chest. Thor looked at Loki, “should we do anything?”

“Let them be,” Loki said, amused. “We’ll just watch her back. Except if you feel the desire to help, you can go ahead and get stabbed. I’ll just stay here until I need to pull you out of it.”

The young man stood up from his fall and his hands glowed yellow. Suddenly, the shadow warriors appeared. “Attack the two men,” the young man commanded. “I will deal with the woman.”

“How cute,” Stella growled and she pulled out a sword from her back.

“Do try not to get hurt now, brother. I don’t want to do all the work.” Loki said as he looked at his brother and swapped their Midgardian clothes to their Asgardian armor. Thor wielded Mjölnir and Loki his blades. 

For the next 30 minutes, Loki and Thor dealt with the 10 shadow warriors as Stella dealt with the young man. And at the last minute when the brothers defeated the shadow warriors, Stella disarmed the young man and pushed him against the wall, her blade on his throat.

“Was it you who did this to the town?” she sneered. The man laughed maniacally. Stella shoved the blade further his throat and he grunted.

“We should probably take things slow,” Loki suggested.

“There’s no time for a good cop, bad cop scenario here.” Stella glanced at him. Loki grinned at Thor, who was not so sure what was gonna happen next. “Now, tell me. What happened here and who did this?”

“You probably should know by now.” the man replied.

“Your father? Is it him?”

 _It’s nice to know we aren’t the only dysfunctional godly family in the universe_. Loki thought.

“You know you were the talk of the century. Someone who always wanted to be noticed by - OOF!” Stella threw a punch at the man and he fell. Loki raised an eyebrow over the man’s statement.

She grabbed him by the hair and placed the tip of her blade back to his neck. “One last time, did Ares send you?”

The man gave a sinister smile. “I am one of many.” the man said as he popped something inside his mouth. “Ares might be behind bars but we will do what he was meant to do if it means overthrowing Olympus.” he started to choke on the froth that was bubbling on his mouth. “Earthrealm...will be...ours…” He spat before he passed out.

Stella dropped the man as he faded away from humanity. She bit her lip as she stood up. She took a deep breath and faced the Asgardians. “It’s Ares,” she told them as she put back her sword on its sheath. “He commanded his demigod child to do this.”

“And a demigod is?” Thor asked.

“Half-mortal, half-god.” she stopped on her tracks and looked at them. “You Asgardians don’t have that kind of thing?”

“We have not heard of such an occurrence,” Loki answered. _But I can possibly make an exception_ …

“Well, it’s a thing for Greek gods.” They gathered outside the house. “Especially Zeus.”

“Your father,” Thor said.

Stella looked back at the house. “Yeah, my father,” she repeated with a faraway look in her eyes.

“I didn’t expect you to be a ruthless detective, Lords,” Loki said with a smug look on his face.

“He obliterated every innocent person in this town in the name of his father, the god of war. Would that not piss you off?!” Stella lashed out since the first minute she had stepped into this torn town. 

“Okay,” Loki mumbled and glanced at Thor, stepping back to stay behind his brother. Thor tilted his head to the side and frowned. Stella turned her back against them and returned to the house. They both looked at her and saw her open her palm to blast a blue light on the man’s body and the man was obliterated. “What did you do?!” Loki said in disbelief.

“Sent him to the underworld. He can’t be seen here.” Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s dead,” she added. “I think I need to pay Ares a visit.”

Loki looked at Thor and started to walk towards Stella. Thor held a hand to stop his brother. “Let me do it.” 

Loki stared at him. “Are you sure? You aren’t the most...tactful.”

“Trust me.” Thor gave him a reassuring nod and he entered the house. Loki threw his hands in exasperation and shifted his attention to their surroundings. Thor caught a glimpse of the spot where the man once was and saw a sliver of his saliva. “I was impressed by your power since the day you grabbed Ares by the neck in Asgard, Lady Stella.”

“It was just something I had to do. Put him in his place. Olympus is in danger with him running about.”

“I was thinking it would be better for us to work together,” Thor stood next to her. “Putting Ares in his place, you say?”

“I’m always available to work with you and your brother, your highness.”

“Please, you can call me Thor.” She nodded. “I also know a group of mortals protecting Midgard. They might be helpful for us. They will be glad to assist us in the case.”

“Did Fury send you?” Stella faced him, her voice was calm but a serious look on her face. Loki entered the house when he heard her question. “He told me about the group. Is that the group you meant?” she thoughtfully said while caressing her metal cuffs. Thor nodded. “So you two work with him?”

“Um, not really,” Loki said.

“Yes, we do,” Thor said otherwise. His younger brother gave him an eye.

“Okay.” Stella was getting weird signals from Loki. He might or might not be working with Fury but she knows - she feels - that he is deeply concerned for his brother and does not want anything to happen to him. That could work. “Whatever it is, whether both of you work with Fury or not, I’m here to help Asgard. Anyway, this has been your case too since Ares attacked you.” She referred to Loki.

“Fury works as a guardian of Midgard,” Thor explained. “He brings capable people together to defend Earth against threats from anywhere.”

Stella nodded, letting all the information sink in.

“I know there are a lot of things to process. You can take your time -”

“I’ll check on Ares,” she said and pulled out something from her pocket. “Meanwhile, I don’t know if you two will go back to Asgard after this, but I’ll find you.” she looked at the engraved rocks from her pocket. “I’ll tell you my decision in person.” she gave them the rocks.

“And what is this for?” Loki raised an eyebrow.

“Think of it as a tracker. That’s how I can find you,” she said. Her hands glowed and after a few seconds, she vanished.

A second later, Stella arrived in Olympus’s high-profile security prison only to find all the guards dead. “Shit!” she hissed and ran to Ares’ cell only to find it empty as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gif not mine


	5. Trust No One

### Chapter 4: Trust No One

Loki did not expect her to be this headstrong. For the whole duration he was impressed by her thrice: first was when she fought the man; second, when she pinned him to the wall; and third, when she lashed out. She seems to be a mix of him and his brother Thor: smart and strategic like him, bold and fearless like his brother.

“Yes, I agree. Though I had expected her to do that.” Loki has not noticed that he said his first thought aloud until Thor replied to him. They were standing in the elevator going up the top floor of the Avengers Tower to meet up with the others. 

Loki clasped his hands in front of him. “She does not seem to be one who can work with us, let alone for S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“But in the end, she sounds like she is willing to help Asgard.” Thor tilted his head towards him as he spoke.

“Isn’t that unusual?” Loki glanced at him. “Someone from another realm wants to help us?”

The elevator doors opened and they heard Tony say “Welcome back!”

They entered the floor and Tony was with Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff. “Tony filled us in. How did it go?” Bruce asked them.

The brothers looked at each other, unsure who would speak first. “Well, she seemed to know what happened in Greece,” Loki replied.

“Yes, we all know what happened there,” Natasha said. “How is it our concern? And why are you here?” She directed the question to Loki. "And why do you look like you're okay with this?" She now faced Stark.

"Hang on, Romanoff. That’s too many questions in one sitting. I know you have a lot of questions. Don’t worry, we have all night,” Tony replied.

“Yeah, you better explain.” She crossed her arms on her chest and straightened herself on the couch, swiping her hard, sharp eyes on everyone in the room. “I’m armed,” she said when she glowered at Loki. Loki smirked at her, taunting her but this doesn’t phase her.

Tony walked to the bar and poured himself a whiskey. “Uh, you want a drink, Nat?”

“I’d want to hear this sober.”

“Alright. So, first question. How is it our concern?”

“It was not done by any human, that’s what he meant,” Thor added. “And with the population of Kalambaka missing, it seems that they will not stop there.”

“As for Loki?” Natasha interrogated.

“Odin’s orders.”

“That doesn’t sound as comforting as it should be.” She stood up and followed Stark to the bar and poured herself a glass of whiskey.

“I thought you wanted to hear this sober?” Stark wondered.

“The more my questions are answered, the more I want to make myself get drunk.” She side-glanced Tony. “Don’t worry, I don’t lose my aim when drunk.”

“I know that.”

“Which brings us to the next question.” Natasha raised her glass to Tony. “Why the hell are you okay with this?”

Bruce turned to Loki while this was happening. Loki let out a menacing smirk, sending shivers down Bruce’s spine. “Yeah, why is he here again?” Bruce added.

“Odin asked me to look into the disappearance of the people from Kalambaka as we believe it was an act of sorcery. Seems I’m the only capable Asgardian who can work on it.” Loki replied arrogantly.

“Well, basically, that,” Thor said flatly.

“That’s the reason why Fury and I allowed it,” Tony answered.

Natasha’s jaw fell and her face scrunched. “Fury is okay with this?” Her voice rose.

“This is insane,” Bruce muttered, slumping on the couch.

“I would agree with Banner. Totally insane,” Loki stated.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to let the big guy smash you once again.” Bruce raised a finger at him. Loki gulped, legitimately scared for the first time in his life.

“And who is ‘she’?” Natasha finally asked. Thor, Tony, and Bruce looked at Natasha like she just admitted she wrestled a grizzly bear. “Of course I’ve read the file but I need more than what’s written there.”

“She’s the Greek demigod,” Loki told them.

“And what’s so special about her?”

 _Oh, if you only knew_ , Loki thought, remembering how she snatched Ares from him. She was dauntless.

“I think it’s best we talk to her, if possible,” Bruce suggested.

“I also heard Fury wanted her to work with us, did she say yes?” Natasha continued, returning to the couch where Bruce was.

“She did not explicitly say yes to working with the Avengers but she is always willing to work with Asgard,” Thor explained. Loki was just pacing around the room, listening to the group discuss.

“‘Work with Asgard’. So you’re saying you guys know each other since way back?” Bruce asked.

“Yes. She is Olympus’ guardian for the realms, including ours. She has a seat in our war room.” Thor settled on a couch adjacent to theirs. Tony followed and sat on a solo couch between Thor’s sofa and Nat and Bruce’s couch.

“Should we trust her?” Natasha asked the two mortals around her.

“If Thor and Loki trust her, then I will too,” Bruce answered.

Natasha leaned closer to Bruce. “I would be cautious around people Loki trusts.” Loki heard this and his lips curled up sardonically.

“Thor sounds like he trusts Loki on this one,” he whispered back.

“If you’re saying you can’t trust people who trust Loki, does that include Thor?” Tony gestured to him. Thor frowned.

“I fully trust Lady Stella,” Thor assured them.

“How about you, Reindeer Games?” Stark asked Loki. “What do you think of Detective Lords?”

He turned to them. “I never thought my opinion would be valuable to you.”

Tony sighed and turned back to Thor. “Did you convince her?” Tony asked then the alarms went off. “Jarvis, what’s happening?”

“Someone landed on the helipad,” J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. They all looked out of the glass and saw a person’s silhouette. Natasha pulled out her gun and went out to the helipad. “She seems to have appeared out of nowhere.”

 _She?_ Loki thought and he stepped forward, going after Natasha. The figure raised its hands to signal peace. He then threw flares on the platform to light it up.

“Loki, it’s me. I come in peace.” Stella showed up, still wearing her white and gold armor. 

“Agent, you can put your gun down,” he instructed Natasha, who just gave him the side-eye. “That is her.”

“How can you tell? And why should I listen to you?” Natasha replied, still suspicious of the whole thing.

“Loki? Thor? What’s happening?” Stella asked cautiously.

“Because I know her.” Loki and Natasha were still staring each other down until he decided to unarm Natasha. She fought for her gun but he held it high and froze her in place. “I’ll return this to you after, don’t worry,” he said and her gun vanished, making Natasha curse in Russian. Loki then walked to Stella. “Stella Lords, I’m sorry a-”

“Ares is missing,” she said urgently.

“What?” he said, surprised. Loki removed the enchantment on Natasha and they walked back inside, Natasha keeping her distance from Loki and the newcomer and continued to internally curse him. “Thor, Stella said Ares is missing.”

Thor approached Stella. “I came back, everyone’s dead and Ares’ cell was empty,” she explained hurriedly.

“Okay, hold on.” Tony interrupted. “What the hell happened and who is Ares?” Stella blinked at him, just now noticing the billionaire. "I believe you are Detective Stella Lords." 

"I'm sorry." Stella composed herself and extended a hand for Tony to shake. "Yes, Stella Lords. And you must be Tony Stark?" 

"Yes, you got it." 

"Fury mentioned you." Tony, Bruce, and the especially suspicious Natasha looked at Stella. "You must be from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Not quite," Natasha spoke.

"I'm Bruce Banner." He shook Stella's hand. 

"We're what you call the Avengers, or what Fury calls us," Natasha answered, her guard still up. "Fury said you know what happened in Greece?"

They sat down and Bruce offered her a seat. "Yes. Two days ago we found Kalambaka ravaged. Empty, but ravaged. We couldn't find any bloodstains nor gunshot holes on the walls. I suspected that the victims were obliterated through magic, through sorcery."

"How can you say it was an act of sorcery when you have not seen what happened first hand?" Bruce askes. 

Stella opened her palm and a blue flame appeared. "I can pick up any magical residue. That's how I found out."

"And the place was vibrating with residual sorcery," Loki added. 

"You've been there?" Natasha asked. 

_Of course_. Loki badly wanted to retort. _But I have to painfully play nice now_.

"When the three of us were there, we were attacked by a Mres warrior and one of Ares' half-mortal sons," Stella continued.

"By half-mortal, you mean Ares is a god?" Bruce asked. Stella nodded. Bruce's eyes widened, "okay, more gods. They're real."

"As real as we can be. I went back to Olympus, planning on interrogating Ares but found no one. He's on the loose." Stella waited for a comment from the three of them but they just looked back at her, deep in thought.

"But how do you know Thor and Loki?" Tony asked her.

"My father is Zeus, I was born to a mortal. Growing up, my half-sister Athena trained me in military skills and sorcery in secret, keeping it from our father. Then she made me a guardian for the realms.” 

“But when Athena made you guardian, did Zeus find out?” Bruce asked.

“He did and he let me. He can’t do anything about what Athena does. Anyway, unbeknownst to Earthrealm, Olympus and Asgard have been working together for the protection of all the realms. A few months ago, I was in Asgard because Ares attacked Loki." he looked at her upon hearing his name and they locked eyes. "What did he want from you that night?" 

"He was asking for the mind crystal. The scepter." 

"Where is it now?" 

"It’s," Tony paused to look at Loki, “classified information.”

Stella nodded in understanding. “Of course.”

Natasha shifted on the barstool she was sitting on. "If Ares is looking for the scepter, then this might be the battle of New York once again," she said and Loki felt like an icicle sliced through his heart. 

"Hopefully we can prevent that from happening again," Thor added. 

"The only thing we need to do is to stop Ares with minimal damage," Stella suggested. “I don’t want any more mortals to die.”

"Uh, for minimal damage, I don't think we have the same definition of 'minimal'," Bruce commented. 

"If we're going to do something to stop another possible threat, then I'm in," Natasha said after a few moments of thought and she glances at Tony and Bruce.

Tony looked back at her then to Stella. "Of course, I am too." Bruce patted his shoulder in solidarity. 

"As for us," Thor added. "It has been our mission to protect the Nine Realms."

“Fury told me that I can work with you. Thor also told me the same thing.” Stella was studying them, unsure if she can keep up working with a whole new group (who are not Olympians nor soldiers) with different personalities and unknown backgrounds.

Natasha was also watching Stella for any signs of her lying.

“Take my word on this, Lady Lords. I have worked with the Avengers and I trust them with all my heart,” Thor assured her.

Stella stood straight. "It would be an honor to fight alongside the Avengers then," she said and made a small bow. She waved her hand towards herself and shed off the warrior suit, revealing a black knitted sweater, ash-colored jeans, and black leather boots. She kept her hair up in a bun though. Loki didn’t notice he was already staring at her until she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you keep your wardrobe in the palm of your hand?” Stark asked and she chuckled.

“Yeah. Kinda like that.”

"Convenient," Bruce muttered.

Loki walked to Natasha, her gun dangling from his hand. “Here you go, Agent Romanoff.”

Natasha snatched the gun from him and checked the magazine. The bullets were still there. Natasha then stood up and aimed the gun at Loki. He raised his hand, trying to calm down the Black Widow.

Tony stood up. “Okay, maybe it’s a good idea not to start shooting anyone right now, Nat.” He patted her shoulder.

“Maybe not snatch my gun from me.” Natasha cocked an eyebrow at Loki.

Loki just smirked. “I’ll take note of that, Agent,” he replied, amused. Natasha lowered her gun but maintained the irritated scowl on her face.

After hours of talking and getting to know each other, Tony pulled Stella aside. “Do you have a place to stay here in New York?”

“Not yet. I’ll just have to rent one.”

“You can stay here, y’know. There’s a vacant place so you don’t have to rent.”

“I think, I mean,” Stella sighed and smiled politely. “I think I’m good. I can handle it.”

“I think it would be better for you to stay here, security-wise,” Natasha interrupted.

“Actually that’s another the reason,” Stark pointed out. “And you can use this tower’s resources to help you find Ares.” Stella looked at both of them. Natasha gave her a reassuring smile for the first time tonight. She thought of it for a minute. _Why not? They could also help me with this, though I can’t see how as of now_. She thought.

“Okay, then. But I’m out the minute this is over,” Stella said.

“Hmm. Suit yourself,” Tony replied and Natasha led her to her floor.

Natasha made sure she could have Stella alone in the elevator. When they passed down 2 floors she stopped the car.

Stella raised an eyebrow, waiting for Natasha to engage. She kept her hands clasped on her front. Natasha faced her, a hard, grim look on her face. “Who are you?” She asked.

“I believe you didn't want my name,” Stella replied coolly, her eyes locked on Natasha’s. “I told you, I’m a Greek demigod who acts as a liaison for the realms, including Asgard.”

“Where were you all this time?”

“In Greece, being a detective. You know, Director Fury told me he had people monitoring me. That’s how he tracked me.”

The corner of Natasha’s lips slightly rose. “He has eyes and ears everywhere. How do you know the Asgardians?”

“As I had told you earlier, Athena and Odin have an agreement to work together for the good of the realms and all immortals. Quite a feat knowing Odin was not much of a diplomat.”

Natasha took all this in. She wanted to check whether Stella was a threat or not. She didn’t want to put her trust in the demigod for the fact that she saved Loki one time and they might have an agreement. Or Stella Lords might be Loki’s ally at worst.

But here she is, telling everything. Cool, calm, and collected.

Natasha pressed a button on the panel and the elevator car continued going down. “I’ll keep my eyes on you, still,” she told her as they entered their floor.

Stella smirked. “Be my guest, agent.” Natasha thought of not trusting her for a second because of the way she said reminds her of Loki.

Natasha left Stella outside a bedroom door. Stella opened the door and walked to the oversized windows that occupied half of the room. It was a breathtaking view of New York at night. A welcome respite after being attacked in Kalambaka, losing track of Ares, and being interrogated in an elevator. “Jarvis?” she said, unsure if J.A.R.V.I.S. would respond to her.

“Yes, Miss Lords?” he responded alright.

 _Oh, you did respond_. She thought. “Turn off the lights in this room.”

“Lights turning off.” the room went dark and New York lit up even brighter. Stella peered at the sky and the stars that were more visible this time, although not as visible as it was back home.

 _Home. Wherever that may be_.

“Looks like you have settled in.” Loki interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see him standing on the doorway. He changed into his Asgardian clothes but without the cape. “Your door was open so I thought of checking in.”

She chuckled, amused. “It’s for the meantime, anyway. After this, I’m back to being a detective.”

“What a waste of power and skills only to remain as such,” he said as he let himself in.

“Not really. You’d be surprised how many magical individuals get mixed up in mortal business.” She went back to studying the veins of the city.

Loki strolled aimlessly around her room. “Do they get incarcerated?”

“Not here.”

“Don’t you have a palace anywhere?” Loki asked.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m not the kind of person who will sit down and wait for things to happen. It’s one of the things I can do to keep me on the ground. I’ve got more coverage.”

Loki stood next to her. “So, Detective, what is your next plan?”

“Remember when that man said ‘I am one of many’?” Loki folded one of his arms across his torso and rested his elbow on it, tapping his chin as he followed Stella’s verbal train of thought. “I might need to trace every half-mortal child of Ares and follow a few of them.”

“Every child? Isn’t that a lot?” he dropped his hands.

“I said to follow a _few_ of them,” she emphasized. “I don’t have the luxury of time.” Stella turned to study Loki. His expression was intense like there is always something going on in his head. Of course, being the trickster god he should always be _one step ahead_.

“What are you looking at?”

Her eyes are still on him, rather pensive. “I have a question,” she turned to face him, though he was still looking over New York. “It’s kind of personal if you don’t mind.” her arms crossed on her back.

Loki glanced at her. “What is it?”

“After all these years, why did you decide to work with your brother?” she locked her eyes on his face. Loki gulped. He continued studying the veins of the city. The city he once tried to destroy with the Chitauri. Stella noticed Loki’s expression harden, though his green eyes were melancholic.

 _Dangerously melancholic_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now, folks! I'll be updating every Friday, PHT, so make sure to subscribe to this story and follow me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken for more details!
> 
> Let me know through Tumblr if you want to be part of the tag list!
> 
> Feel free to let me know what you think so far! :)


	6. Uncertainties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being introduced to the Avengers, Stella has been having apprehensions about whether this was a good idea or not. On top of that, she was also hesitant about working with Loki, given his past.

### Chapter 5: Uncertainties

Stella couldn't stay still. She kept on pacing in her room since Loki left. She tried lying down but couldn't get a wink. She has been awake for 30 hours now and she even crossed timelines. _Wonder how many hours by now_ , she thought. 

She needed to talk to someone but was unsure if she could trust anyone in the building. So far she can confide to Thor but not entirely. She stood in the middle of her room and raised her hands. _Let's see how this smart building can handle magic_. Her hands glowed blue and she waved it around her. A ball of blue static appeared in front of her and sent a second wave to the ball as if attacking it. A small boom was heard. She stood in silence, trying to listen if anyone woke up. 

"Jarvis, did anyone wake up?" She looked up as if expecting to see someone or a camera.

"Everyone is still asleep. That boom you made cannot be heard outside your room since the rooms are soundproof. Your boom is just as loud as someone slapping you hard." 

Stella chuckled at the image of someone slapping a robot. "Have you ever been slapped?" She wandered around her blue ball, studying it.

"I have not been slapped before and I could not imagine how that will go." 

"Go to sleep, Jarvis. I'm sorry for the disturbance." The room sat still, except for the blue ball pulsing in the middle. Stella opened her palm and the ball cyclones its way back in her palm. But before it was completely extinguished, she clasped her hands over the ball. 

She opened her eyes and she was in the middle of the Parthenon. Blue mist danced around her as she swapped her Earthrealm outfit to an appropriate Grecian dress. A floor-length, cream tunic dress bordered with gold and black patterns and intricately-designed gold brooches pinned on each shoulder. A gold band cinched her waist. Although she's wearing a dress, Stella's gold cuffs remained. "Athena? It's me, Stella," she called out. 

The Parthenon changed before her eyes. The damaged columns rose and a roof appeared above her. Inside, the white and gold curtains flowed against the night breeze. Potted trees and flower bushes fill up the courtyard. After 20 years of going back and forth here, she is still enchanted by the transformation. 

"My sister," a woman in her mid-30s said. 

Stella faced the source of the voice and bowed. Athena placed a hand on her shoulder. Stella looked up and rose. 

Athena still looked immaculate after all these millennia, especially with her slate grey halter dress, exposing her bony but strong shoulders down to her elbow. From there the cloth extended down to the floor, trailing as she walked. A gold collar was sewn to the dress. And, like Stella, she opted to retain her gold cuffs along with her gold breastplate. Her long, black hair is pinned up in a loose bun (because these goddesses love their loose buns). Whatever Athena does with her hair, it never fails to accentuate her sharp, dark brown eyes, slender nose, and full lips. 

"What brought you here so late at night?" Athena asked. 

"Like you ever sleep," Stella teased. 

"I don't, but you do." Athena smiled and studied her. "You badly need sleep." 

Stella closed her eyes and felt the sting. "Right. I will after this." She stifled a yawn.

"Tell me," Athena led her up to the sitting room adjacent to the throne hall. "What bothers you?"

"You really can feel it, can’t you?" A small smile playing on Stella's lips as she side-glanced at her.

"I am a god and I am your sister. Of course, I will know." Athena sat down on the other end of the couch. "I can feel there's something bothering you." 

Stella took a moment to breathe in the fresh breeze flowing through the palace. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't sure how I would work this out." Athena tilted her head and looked at her curiously. Stella felt uncomfortable with her sister's silence so she added, "I know you have perfectly laid down everything, but I don't think I can execute it as you expect me to." 

Her sister gave her a serene smile. "Stella, I do not expect perfection from you." 

"Ouch?"

Athena waved a hand at her comment. "I made you a guardian because I believe you have the right balance of chaos and peace. I see that you can handle both perfectly. You are also the most strategic pupil I have ever taught. And it shows on your detective work." 

"Mortal detective work is far different than this." 

"You have defeated Stheno when she attacked this temple. You also went after the demigods who meddled with human affairs. Aren’t those credits enough?" 

"Uh, that…" Stella trailed off. She looked around aimlessly. "I was working alone. This time it's different. The Asgardian brothers are on the case and a few mortals, too." 

"So this is what's bothering you?" Stella glanced at Athena, expecting her to be disappointed, but she still isn't. "Speak of it more."

“Okay.” Stella flopped down on her seat like she was lounging in her own living room. “First of all, the Asgardian brothers. I mean, I trust them, especially Thor. We’ve worked on some cases before. You remember that time, right?” Athena nodded. “But now I’ve met their mortal allies -”

“The Avengers?” Athena interrupted.

Stella tilted her head. “You know them?” She said as her head bobbed.

Athena smirked. “Of course I know,” she replied, still softly. “What about them?”

“I don’t know who they are.” Stella paused, unsure of what to say exactly. “I haven’t wrapped my head around the idea. I don’t know how to say this properly.” She studied Athena, who was sitting and waiting patiently for her to speak, like a therapist. “I know they became the world’s heroes but I’m not sure if I can fit in.”

“You can perfectly command your agents as a detective -”

Stella cut her off. “But I am not commanding them.” Silence. Stella chewed on her inner cheek, organizing her jumbled thoughts. “I think I said yes to Thor right away. I have not thought about this properly.”

“Are you saying you want to give up on this?”

Stella sat up straight immediately and shifted on her seat. “No, no! No.” She composed herself. “I mean, things are happening too fast. I could work on this alone but…” She trailed off.

“They need you. You need them.” Athena assured her.

Stella looked up to her sister, pursing her lips. _This means one thing. It’s going to be bigger than I thought it would be_.

“Give yourself some time.” Stella’s brow rose a millimeter. Athena raised a finger, signaling her to stop her apprehensions. “I know there’s no time for you to take a step back and observe, but I know how you work and you can figure this out easily. You can also trust these people. They trust you now.”

“I don’t think so.” Athena gave her a knowing look. “Nevermind, I’ll figure that part out on my own.” Stella brought her thumb to her lips and started to bite it. “Another thing, Ares killed all the prison guards and he managed to escape.”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” Athena replied patiently.

“Where are your students? The ones after me?”

“You know I have stopped training others because there are no more young demigods. You are the last one.” Stella sighed, feeling the weight of Athena’s reply. ”What else is on your mind?”

"Loki," she finally muttered. 

Athena cocked her head slightly to the side. "What about him?" 

"Are you sure about him? Getting into this? Remember how he used both the tesseract and the scepter to destroy New York? What if he'll do it again? Or what if Ares will make him do it again?" Athena nodded, encouraging her to speak more. "He's the god of deception, Athena. What if he turns? I don’t know where the scepter is but I think it’s just a few floors below us. I can feel it. He can even turn me or anyone in the team." 

"I understand your concern about him, Stella. But have you opened yourself to every possibility?" Stella scrunched her forehead. "He can be a valuable asset for your mission. He's the god of deception, after all." Stella stared blankly beyond Athena. "I have talked to Odin about his behavior and his actions. When this happened, when Ares started to threaten Olympus, Asgard, and Earthrealm, we decided to let him work on this for the greater good of the realms." Stella shook her head and laughed nervously. "What is so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Athena. My sister. I," she bit her lower lip to stop laughing. Then her lips started to tremble.

Athena moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It is okay to doubt yourself, child. After all, you are half-mortal. The gods have asked a huge favor of you and we are grateful for it." Stella clenched her jaw, fighting back the tears, feeling overwhelmed even though this has been her destiny. But she still feels grateful that the gods favored her and trusted her to protect Earthrealm. She nodded and smiled at her sister. "I appointed you as a guardian because I know of your capabilities. I know your confidence. I know you can do this. And maybe," Athena's smile grew wider. "You can take my place when I retire." 

Stella laughed. "No way. You can't do that. Olympus has no retirement plan!" 

"I know. I just want to see you smile," they laughed. “Just remember. Right now, your priority is to prevent Ares from getting his hands on the mind crystal. We don’t need another extraterrestrial invasion to disturb Earthrealm.”

Stella opened her eyes and she was back in her temporary shelter ( _my room_ , she thought) in the Avengers tower. She checked the time on the nightstand: it was 3:30 AM. She crashed into her bed, not even bothering to change her dress nor take off the gold band on her waist and her gold cuffs. She looked at the white ceiling and drifted off to sleep.


	7. The Never-ending Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella and the Avengers realized they were in for a long, heavy ride.
> 
> I have nothing else to say but the ball is rolling, the cogs are churning. They realized there's more than what meets the eye.

### Chapter 6: The Never-ending Chase

She groaned when she checked the time. It was 5:00 AM and it seems there's no other way she could go back to sleep. _Unless I get drunk or I'll take ZyQuil?_ She threw her blanket aside as she toyed with the idea, stood up, and stretched. _Note to self: buy either gin or sleeping meds in case of emergency_. The sun was starting to peek over the New York skyline. She raised a hand to her nape and paused when she felt her cold cuff touch her skin. _Oh and now I slept with this on?_

"Jarvis, good morning," she said and yawned. 

"Good morning, Miss Lords." 

She looked up to the ceiling as if expecting to see the AI. "I was wondering if this building has a gym."

"Are you sure you would want to work out? You have not slept for the past 36 hours and only had 1.5 hours of sleep." 

"Wow, Jarvis. Don't worry I was just wondering." She walked to the window. "For future reference."

"The gym is on the 72nd floor." A hologram of the floor appeared in front of her.

The gym was complete with equipment and even a large space for sparring. Stella smiled. "Sweet." 

After washing her face and changing her dress to a grey, jersey tank top, and black leggings, she walked the dim, empty halls of her floor and entered the elevator. After passing by some floors the doors opened to sprawling gym space. She took herself to a tour and stopped at the punching bag. She looked to her left where the shelves are located, walked and picked up a hand wrap, and started with it. Then she picked up two bamboo sticks the length of her swords. She hit the punching bag as if hacking someone. Satisfied, she started training. 

During her second round, Stella heard the elevator's ding. She landed a kick to the bag before she faced the newcomer.

"You must be Detective Lords, ma'am?" The newcomer said.

"Yep. Good morning. And you are?" Stella picks up her towel and wipes her face. 

The newcomer approached her and extended a hand. "Steve Rogers, ma'am." 

She looked at his hand and then hers. "Hi, Steve. Uh, my palms are sweaty." She extended her stick instead. 

Steve laughed at her gesture and shook the stick. "I heard you were here for the case?"

"Yeah. About that, what do you know about it?" 

Steve walked to a bench and sat. "I did tell them to leave it in the ocean."

She blinked in confusion. “The scepter was in the ocean?”

Steve looked up at her. “No, the tesseract.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know about this. I am only here for the scepter’s protection against Ares. Well, actually stopping Ares from taking the scepter and creating more damage.”

He straightened up. “That is odd. Fury never mentioned to you that the tesseract was missing? And is Ares who I think he is?”

“Who do you think Ares is?”

“That Greek god of war? Zeus’ son?” Stella nodded. “More gods. I thought there was only one.”

She shrugged at him apologetically. “I would expect you to tell me you saw him on the battlefield.” Steve gave her a questioning look. “He thrives in chaos. He’s in every war.”

“That sounds poetic, though.”

“No, I mean he is in the war.” Steve looked at her like he was not sure if he should laugh or not, but Stella was dead serious.

“Okay. I was frozen for a good part of my life -” He started counting with his fingers. “-Bruce is The Hulk; Thor is a god of thunder; and Loki brought aliens here on Earth, so anything is possible.”

“I’m sorry the world has evolved into this mayhem.” She chuckled.

“Don’t be, kid.” Steve smirked.

“So, going back, the tesseract, it’s missing?” She frowned. “I believe it does not concern me. What is it? The tesseract? And what is its relationship with the scepter?”

“The scepter and the tesseract work together. The scepter acts as a key to the tesseract since it’s a portal to another dimension. Loki used that to transport the Chitauri to Earth,” he explained. “If Fury signed you up to work for the scepter case, then the missing tesseract should also concern you.”

Stella returned the sticks and crossed her arms, thinking about what Steve said. Deep inside, a part of her is saying ‘holy shit what have I gotten myself into?’ but the good part of her is pushing that thought away to establish a logical perception for the case. Steve had noticed her eyes widen a bit after he told her that but he let it go. “Possibly. But Fury told me I was in here for the scepter and the disappearance of the people in Kalambaka,” she replied, trying not to be unsure of the whole operation.

“Ah, yes. That. What is the connection between the scepter and that town?”

“Ares. He attacked Loki months ago for the mind crystal. That’s what the scepter holds. Then he commanded his demigod son to destroy Kalambaka, said it’s going to be his father’s land. Why? I don’t know.” She sat next to him. “Where was the tesseract housed before it was missing?” 

“In the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ. Theory is someone who is working inside stole it. It was heavily guarded so it’s someone high up in the ranks. I think Hydra is still on the run and maybe they’re the ones who stole the tesseract again.” Steve replied.

“Who’s Hydra?”

“It was the scientific branch of the Nazi government headed by Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull. They used the Tesseract to create weapons of mass destruction and then later on separated from the government to start their conquest of the world. No idea why they wanted the whole world in their hands.”

 _That sounds like what Ares also wanted_. She thought. “Where is Johann Schmidt now?”

Steve frowned and shook his head. “No idea. Off-grid?”

“So if you say this tesseract and the scepter work together, is there a possibility Ares might be after the tesseract, too?”

“Maybe you’re here for more than you expect.”

“We need to discuss this with them.”

After running back to her room to shower and get dressed, Stella quickly left her room and bumped into Loki, who was going in the opposite direction. "Oh my, I'm sorry." 

"You should watch where you're going," he told her. 

"Yeah I know and that I am sorry," she said over her shoulder. 

"Why are you in a hurry, anyway?" 

Stella turned back and pulled him by the hand. "I think you should come with me."

"Wait!" He yanked his hand from her. "I can perfectly walk on my own," he said, annoyed. 

They entered the elevator and Stella was trying to stop herself from laughing over the fact that she just annoyed the god of mischief. "Is there something that you want to discuss?" Loki broke her thoughts. 

She cleared her throat. "Yeah. Steve and I just had an epiphany." 

Loki glanced at her over his shoulder. "Which is?" 

"I'll tell you later, along with everyone."

“Why can’t you tell me right here, right now? We’re the primary players in this game, anyway,” he scoffed.

“As much as I want to break it to you as early as now, I would want to discuss it with everyone around because it looks like this concerns everyone.” She tilted her body toward him. “And I don’t want to keep on repeating myself.”

He rolled his eyes. _Okay, she's getting on my nerves_. He thought. _If she's playing mind games I'm out. I did not have any problem when the Allfather told me to look into this case but I never imagined I was going to work with the Greek guardian like her_.

They entered the lounge and everyone was there. Stella slipped into a chair next to Bruce. "So, you were gonna tell us something?" Tony asked her. 

"Yeah. Steve and I were talking this morning." She clasped her hands in front of her. 

"Ah. I see you were already acquainted with Capsicle." Stark added. “So what did you talk about?”

“I didn’t know the tesseract was missing until Steve told me.”

Natasha crunched her forehead. “Fury didn’t tell you? Or was it not part of your case?”

“My case was just about the town and the scepter, considering there will be another possible attack on civilians from a non-human force. Until Steve told me that the scepter and the tesseract work together. Is it true?” She gestured to Thor and Loki to confirm, not wanting to point Loki himself.

"Yes. The tesseract works as a door to the other realms, the other side of the universe. The tesseract has belonged to Asgard since time immemorial. That's why we're here, to bring it back to Asgard. The scepter, on the other hand, activates or deactivates it, aside from it being used to mentally control a victim." Loki willingly explained, making Natasha shudder at the thought of Clint's experience under the influence of the scepter.

Stella just nodded. "You said there was a possibility of an inside job within S.H.I.E.L.D." She gestured to Tony. "What’s the possibility this is connected to Ares or Hydra?”

“Hydra, highly probable. Maybe around 75%. As for Ares, I’m not sure what’s in his head.” Tony answered.

“But Ares attacked Asgard a few months back and you brought him back to Olympus, how can he steal the tesseract?” Thor inquired.

“His son admitted to us that he is one of the many demigod children who is working for him. Now, what’s the possibility of someone in S.H.I.E.L.D is working _for_ Ares?” Stella said.

“Someone who can cover up the loss for months,” Tony said. “Then we should check who is working on the tesseract.”

“But how can you be so sure Ares is behind all these? What if it’s Hydra again? And didn't Fury tell us that he's working on the missing tesseract?” Natasha asked.

Stella rested her chin on her arm perched on her knee. “It was a hunch.” She looked down at the table. “It can be possible but the dates don’t check out. I just found out that the tesseract had a long history here on Earth, way beyond the Asgardian one.”

"Also Fury doesn't seem to know this as a possibility," Bruce added.

“It is possible,” Loki spoke and everyone looked at him. “As I said, the tesseract can open portals to the different parts of the universe. It can also be used to enter Asgard without using the Bifrost, thus Ares entering the palace undetected.”

“Like how you brought the Chitauri down here?” Natasha said.

Stella looked at Loki intently. There was a hint of remorse he was trying to conceal. There was a split second of it until he gave them a straight face. “Yes, just like how I led them here.” He sighed and faced them. “It can be possible someone was concealing the fact that the tesseract was already stolen months ago.”

A split second. That's all it takes to catch Loki off guard. But Stella was still doubtful even though Athena seems to trust him. But what if Loki was trying to change? _Open yourself to every possibility. He can be a valuable asset to your mission. He's the god of deception_. Athena’s words echoed in her head.

“How did you enter Asgard when Ares was there, Stella?” Bruce asked her.

“I passed through the Bifrost. I was allowed to,” she answered.

“Wait,” Steve spoke. Everyone looked at him. “How can you enter the Bifrost? Are you like them?” He pointed at Thor and Loki.

“Cap, have you read the file?” Bruce asked slowly.

Steve blinked at them. “Fury talked about this to me yesterday and I just arrived here. No file appeared on my desk. Also, no one filled me in before I met her.” Loki smirked at Stella and she replied with a twitch of her lips.

“That explains it,” Tony muttered.

“Is this my story to tell?” Stella asked them.

“Please do.” Tony placed his leg on his other leg.

“Zeus is my father and I was made Olympus’ guardian for the realms by Athena. That includes Asgard. Athena and Odin have special security relations that allowed me to enter Asgard.” Stella explained.

“The daughter of Zeus also has a seat in our war room,” Thor added. “She is our external adviser.”

Steve fell back on his chair. “So it’s your brother we’re fighting?”

“We have different mothers and he’s centuries older than me. We don’t have any concrete relationship aside from sworn enemies.” Steve was still looking flustered. “I’m sorry, Mr. Rogers. The world is a crazy place.” Stella told him.

"Stella." Tony caught her attention. "There might also be a possibility someone within Olympus is working for Ares." 

She looked at him. "That's not impossible. It has been evident in our history that gods and their children can work together to wreak havoc. Ares is already using his children to work for him."

"His children working for him is already an act of treason against Olympus," Loki said. 

"I hate to agree with Darth Vader but he's right," Tony said. 

"Who's Darth Vader?" The Asgardian brothers muttered and Stella chuckled. 

"That was a movie reference," Steve said and Natasha covered her now flushed face. 

"Some dude who blew up Alderaan," Stella told them.

"Blew up with a Death Star," Steve added and Tony looked at him, impressed. 

"Where is Alderaan?" Loki asked. They were already fighting back their laughter. 

"We'll talk about that later," Stella said. "Going back, I would like to trace every human demigod child Ares has. Then we'll work from there." Stella retrieved a thumb drive from her pocket. "All of their names are in here. Can you trace people here, Stark?" 

"Yeah. I can help you with that." 

"Also," Stella paused and she looked at them, "I'm not sure if I'm authorized to work on the tesseract case. Though I would gladly want to help Asgard."

"You don't need to worry about the protocols. We'll handle that. What you need to do now is to do what you need to do." Steve told her.

“Before anything else.” Bruce started. “Who exactly is Ares? Aside from he’s the Greek god of war and Zeus’ son?”

Everyone looked at her. Stella took a moment before answering. “He answers the pleas of humans for war and chaos. He thrives on destruction.”

The meeting was adjourned. Stella went with Tony to the next floor to work on the list. 

Thor approached his brother. "This Ares god seems to be working smart," he said. 

"Someone seems to wish to recreate what I have done the last time," Loki replied.

"He probably has heard of you. Not a wise move."

Loki glanced at his brother. "It was not a pleasant experience, I have to say. The Chitauri were not, how do I put this…they were not easy to work with. If I had a million children then I would have probably done that." 

"Loki," Thor said darkly. "You swore never to do it again." 

Loki placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I don't even intend to have children," he said and he left. 

"Does she trust us? Do you trust her?" Natasha voiced her concern to Steve and Bruce when they were out of earshot.

"I'm not sure yet. Thor seems to trust her." Bruce replied.

“I thought being frozen for 70 years was already insane,” Steve said blankly.

“Oh come on, Steve. I’m the Hulk, you fought aliens here in New York, you met Thor, who is an immortal. You’re still surprised some Greek demigods and gods walk the Earth?” Bruce asked.

“The world indeed is a crazy place.”

“So, do you trust her?” Natasha asked him again.

"Trust who?" Thor asked them as he joined. 

"Detective Lords," Natasha replied. 

"I know your apprehensions, Lady Romanoff. But I have seen her save my brother from the god of war and I know she means well."

"Yeah. I could see her intentions are good." Steve added.

Natasha sighed and crossed her arms. "I'll still keep an eye out."

* * *

"Jarvis, can you pull up any records for the names listed," Stella commanded and the names flashed on the glass panel in front of her shuffled and were replaced by pages and pages of profiles. "Anyone within this state?" 

"I apologize, Miss Lords but I can't seem to find any data regarding that," J.A.R.V.I.S replied. 

Tony and Stella looked at each other. He was a bit worried and she was frowning. _I have a bad feeling about this_ , she thought as she pressed on one page and read it. "These are mostly birth and death certificates. Nothing else, Jarvis?" 

"Nothing else," the AI replied. 

"Huh. They went off the grid." Tony said while munching on his dried fruit snack. "Also, why are there only two documents per person? One birth and one death certificate? No social security numbers? No passports? Do you have one?”

She nodded. “All the papers, even a passport. But I feel like your immigration officers will come at me anytime since I entered your country undocumented.”

“Just don’t show your face to the cameras.”

Stella glanced at Tony. “That’s how it works?”

Tony smiled. “You’ll never know.”

Stella buried her face on her hands. "All the names here are dead, dammit. They're off the grid. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Ares has undocumented demigod children. That god’s not conforming to the rules."

“What do you mean?”

“Ares is the definition of chaos. Athena is a battle with a cause. Both are gods of war but he’s the brutishness of it. He is the offensive when she is on the defense.”

"Does this mean our enemy's invisible? This is like grappling in the dark.” Tony skimmed through the documents. “Can you track a person with magic?"

Stella placed her palms flat on the table and looked at him. "I haven't tried."

“Can you ask for help from Olympus?”

“If it was that easy I would’ve done it a long time ago and I wouldn’t be here.”

"So that means it’s really up to us.” Tony placed a finger on his lips, thinking. “Well, can Loki?"

"No idea. Maybe." She yawned and she felt tears fall from her eyes. "We can ask."

Tony looked at her with heavy concern in his eyes. "You should probably sleep this off for now. That was one heavy yawn," he suggested and she nodded. 

"Good idea. I think I have been awake for 40 hours by now." 

"Jesus, kid. Go get some rest."

"I'm not a kid, I'm 27," she called out as the elevator doors closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far and don't forget to check out my other works :)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken


	8. Double Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella couldn't track Ares' demigod army. Natasha still can't seem to trust her. The Asgardian brothers are thinking of asking for help. Stella decided to stroll around NYC at night when she bumped into someone and almost got killed. Luckily someone came into the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, it's Friday. I can now post one of my favorite chapters. ^_^

### Chapter 7: Double Trouble

It was a quarter past 9 in the evening. Stella woke up after almost 12 hours of sleep. She got out of bed, stretched, and decided to head out and get some fresh air. _Might as well try that NY pizza while I'm here figuring out how to find Ares_. She raised her hand and her black leather jacket showed up. She tossed the jacket over her shoulder then grabbed her phone and the amethyst necklace from the nightstand - the only 2 things she physically brought from Greece.

When she passed by the common area of her floor, she saw Natasha, Tony, and Bruce sprawled on the couches, talking. "Heading out?" Natasha asked. Bruce’s legs were up on the armrest.

"Yeah. Thinking of going for a walk and getting some fresh air while figuring out where Ares might be." Stella replied as she pressed the elevator button. "And about that, the list was not complete, Stark." 

His lips pursed. "Figured that one out." 

The elevator dinged. "I'll see you guys later."

When the doors closed, Bruce dropped his legs on the floor and rested his elbows on his knees. “Natasha, evaluation.”

“Well, she doesn’t give off any ounce of suspicion yet. But I did my research and I’m not sure if she’s really telling me the truth or she’s playing mind games with me, like Loki,” she explained.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “How so?” He walked to the cupboards and pulled out a bottle of wine. “You guys want a drink?” Bruce declined.

“I’ll have some.” Natasha raised a hand. Tony returned to the couches with a drink for her. “As I was saying, I interrogated her in the elevator.”

Tony choked on his wine. “You what?!”

Natasha took a sip on her drink. “I did what I have to do, Stark. I asked her the basics.”

“I could actually imagine you looking all smug while doing that,” Bruce commented. “I'm surprised there was no fistfight that night.”

“I think she knows better than to engage me. She’s too calm for someone who’s under interrogation by the Black Widow. She knows control.”

“And you still sound like you can’t trust her.” Tony asserted.

“Because she has control, like Loki.”

“You can’t trust her because the Black Widow can’t sway her?”

Natasha pursed her lips. “I’m being ridiculous, ain’t I?” The men nodded.

“She could engage you if she wanted. Most of the time when you corner people to interrogate they engage but she doesn't.” Bruce told her and she smirked; she remembered the time Fury asked her to bring Bruce back to the US.

“I’ll still be careful.” Natasha ended.

A floor above the three, Thor and Loki were in the former's room. "The daughter of Zeus talked to me this morning and said that she is having difficulty locating his children."

"Does she not have a list?" Loki was standing by the window, overlooking the city. 

"She does but everyone in the list seems to be dead. There are others out there." Thor sat on a single-seat couch. 

"Definitely. But what if we ask Heimdall to look out for us?" He suggested and looked at Thor.

"We can. He can possibly warn us for any magical activity anywhere in Midgard." 

"After all, he has witnessed what happened in Greece, he just did not see who did it." 

Thor stood up. "Why don't we talk to him?" 

Back on the ground, Stella entered a pizza shop 3 blocks from the tower. The bell rang above her as she opened the door. The man on the counter lazily looked up at her. "Hey, good evening." 

Stella's mouth curved into a small smile. "Hi." She studied the menu above her. "I'll have a slice of pepperoni and a glass of water." 

The guy rang her order on the register and gave her the tray. She grabbed her tray and settled at the table at the corner of the pizza shop. Halfway through her slice, the bell rang and entered two tall men both dressed in a dark red, long-sleeved turtleneck shirt, black slacks, and leather shoes. Both have gold necklaces with an oval pendant hanging on their necks. She raised an eyebrow as she thought it peculiar. _Weird uniform_. She then studied them: they were tall, slender but strong. Both have tanned skin. Prominent cheekbones and set jaws. Almost in their 30s. They look almost the same. _Twins? Maybe. But isn't it kinda weird for adult twins to wear exactly the same thing together?_

Before they settled on the counter seats, the men took a quick glance at her and she immediately fixed her gaze on the street outside. She heard one of them order coffee. By instinct, she amplified her power to feel if these two have magical vibrations coursing through them. In seconds, one of the men slowly turned his head in her direction to look at her, malice written all over his gaze. 

Stella drank her water. She could not feel them but _that man definitely felt my energy_.

She took a moment before standing up to leave. When she passed by them, she felt this weird shiver in her spine. She pushed the door and headed back to the direction of the tower. 

The street was eerily silent and empty. She swore there were 8 shops on this strip that says they're open 24/7 but they look empty. Open, but empty. The street was also buzzing with people a while ago, given that this is a business strip. But now not a single soul was seen walking the street except for her. She passed by a coffee shop 2 doors down the pizza place. Several people were inside but it seems that they were in their own coffee shop world. She picked up a coin from the ground, walked past the coffee shop, and threw the coin to the window. The person next to the window did not react at all. 

Her hands glowed and she threw blue mists all over the street. Her magic highlighted the enchantment that caused this eerily silent atmosphere.

 _This is bad. Should I break their enchantment or not?_ She looked around as she walked. _No, if this escalates to a firefight civilians might die if I do_.

Then she heard the bell from the pizza place. She looked back and the two peculiar men stepped out. They saw her and ran towards her direction. Stella started to dash away from them too, taking a turn away from the tower. _Because the last thing I want to happen is them tracing me back to the tower_. The streets were unusually empty and silent, it did not look like New York at all.

She looked back and saw that only one of them was now chasing her. Then she hit something solid and felt arms wrap around her. It was the other man. “You’re coming with us, dead or alive.”

“How about no!” She kicked the man on the groin and he let go of her, grunting. She sent balls of blue energy towards him, throwing him a couple of feet away from her.

She thought she could get away until the other man caught up with them and punched her in the gut. She threw upon impact. _There goes my dinner_. She straightened up and stepped back. Another wave of energy came from her hands, flinging the men.

One of the men sent a yellow beam and she deflected it with her own. She then landed a kick on the first man who was at her side then her foot connected to the chest of the second man. He did not flinch.

 _Definitely bad news_. She threw another punch at the second man but he caught her fist mid-flight. He twisted her arm, making her scream in pain. The first man stood up and she jumped, twisting, and landing another kick on the first man. She managed to free her hand from his grip and sent another energy wave in his direction. The first man sent a punch, hitting her on the cheek.

She yelped a curse. Her hands glowed blue and it felt like pulling a bowstring, when she released it, it was like releasing a hundred arrows. The blue beams hit the men squarely in their chest and toppled them over. Stella used this opportunity to hit them again with another wave but the first man created a force shield around them, causing Stella’s beam recoil and throwing her to the other side of the road. 

_Don’t tell me they’re more powerful than that young man back in Kalambaka_.

She scrambled up, creating a blue force shield around her but it broke apart when one of them threw a dagger to her and it broke the magic she was conjuring. She caught the blade. It was a foot long, the hilt was gold and had two crossed spears as a symbol.

It was from Ares’s army. She raised a hand and froze the men. “Did Ares send you?”

“We are his children,” they replied in unison.

“Huh. You don’t look like him.”

The hands of the twins glowed yellow and they removed Stella’s binding spell from themselves. Stella flung the knife back to them but one of them deflected it and it clattered on the ground.

She waved her glowing hand to their direction and her energy pushed them back. But then one of them moved swiftly to her and grabbed her by the neck. She held his arm and blasted her energy in it. The man released her, screaming in pain. But the other man caught up with them, punched her in the gut again, sending her flying at the wall of the building. Stella crouched in pain. She stood up, firing another blast of energy when she got hit by something metal on her neck. She gasped and a searing pain coursed through her veins. She raised a hand to her neck and her eyes widened in horror.

The collar was the same one she used on Ares to restrain his power. She grabbed on it, trying to pry it off her but it wouldn’t budge. She gave up on the collar and raised her fists, ready to punch them. “I’m not letting this stop me.” She spat at them.

“Nevertheless, we are here to ensure your end, Guardian.”

They sneered at her. She smirked back sardonically. The man on her right punched her and she caught his arm, pulling him and used his body to block the other man’s punch. They had exchanged punches when she heard a voice shout “Enough!”

The men stopped. Stella turned to the source of the voice. It was Loki, wearing his black and green Asgardian outfit with gold details. His gold, horned helmet is on as well. He was standing a few feet from them. “I will let you choose, walk away alive or we will send you to Hel.”

“I would like to capture them for interrogation, actually.” Stella said flippantly.

One of the men ran to attack Loki. Stella took the opportunity to distract the other one and beat him to a pulp. 

"Why are you doing this? What is Ares up to?" She asked when she trapped the man on the ground. 

"I believe you already know by now." The man replied and pushed Stella away from him. 

Stella bounced back, ignoring the pain the band is giving her and kicked the man squarely on the chest. "How did you find me?" 

The man stood up, his hands glowing yellow. "You are the guardian, of course, we have to stop you."

“Quit the rhetorics, will ya.” Stella jeered. The man sent a beam of yellow magic, Stella swerving just in time as it passed by her, missing her by inches, and hitting a trash can a few feet behind her.

The man attacking Loki brandishes a knife at him but he dodges it, sending spasms of green-gold beams to the man. Loki then flipped his blades before sending one to his attacker, stabbing him straight to the chest.

Stella, on the other hand, powerless because of the band on her neck, is physically dodging the yellow surge of energy the remaining attacker sends her. Loki thrust his hands and the man side-stepped against the impact. Then Loki caught the man by the neck.

“Stella,” Loki said as he grabbed her by the arm. Stella winced in pain as she looked at the Loki who grabbed her arm then to the other Loki choking her last attacker to death. “Heimdall saw you were being attacked.”

“Did he see who attacked me this time?” She said through the bated breath. The band is still holding her down and she feels as if molten lava was being injected to her.

Loki held her by the waist to keep her upright. “Unfortunately he did not, but he saw a surge of energy in this area. He saw your blues.” Stella wrapped her arms around Loki’s hips, grabbing a loose part of his leather coat. “You’re getting weaker,” he said worriedly. He looked at his illusion as it finished the last man. He flicked his free hand and his clone disappeared, dropping the lifeless body to the ground. “I will make them pay for what they have done to you,” he said scornfully.

Stella raised an eyebrow, surprised at Loki’s sudden concern for vengeance in her name. She looked at the twins as yellow mist hovered over their bodies as they disappeared. “Thanks. You don’t have to.” She patted Loki’s chest in a friendly way. “I could have handled them just fine.”

Loki wanted to catch her hand but he ended up giving her a disapproving look. “They were about to kill you if it weren’t for my arrival.”

“Yeah, that’s what they told me too.” She crouched like an old woman. Loki slid his hand under her arm to hoist her up. “Can you pick up that dagger over there?” She pointed at the blade and Loki summoned the blade to him.

“Can you walk?” Loki asked her as their once-empty surroundings started to fill with cars and people coming out of nowhere. Loki also changed his attire to his normal all-black Midgardian ensemble. Stella tried standing straight but a bolt of pain through her spine made her cry out loud, hot tears flowing from her eyes. She gasped when she noticed people walking around them. But no one seemed to hear her. _That was a loud one_. She realized she was in Loki’s illusion, that’s why no one seems to notice them.

“Right. You still can’t.” He then placed his arm around her back and another behind her knees and in one swoop he lifted her bridal-style. Stella’s arm that was holding on to his back moved to his shoulder. Loki looked at her and she has this confused look all over her face. He gave her a reassuring nod and Stella furrowed her eyebrows.

Loki started walking as Stella was trying not to pass out from the pain. It took them a few steps before Loki translocated and placed her on her bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” she muttered.

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Can you pull this band off me?” Stella perched herself up with difficulty. Loki helped her sit. He checked the band on her neck, feeling around it if there’s a latch of some sort. 

“There’s no latch or any crevice that I can crack open. " Loki's worry is starting to overflow to the brim. 

“Try the dagger.” Loki pulled out the men’s dagger and tried to use it to pry the band open. Nothing happened. He then tried his own blade but it still won’t budge. “Loki.”

“Yes?”

“Use your magic.” Her voice was hoarse. 

“What?” He said ambivalently. “You might get killed.”

“This band will do,” she took a sharp breath and closed her eyes. “Look, this sucks out my energy and it’s searing me every minute. We have to take our chances. The only way I could get out of this is when a sorcerer destroys it. Now you’re the only powerful sorcerer I know.” She was losing color the longer she explains.

“Are you sure this will work?”

“For a god of mischief, why are you unsure of doing this?” She said impatiently.

“Okay, stop bickering!” Loki barked but he reluctantly wrapped his hand on her neck, on the band. He felt his energy pulse through his hand and on to the band. The gold band glowed green and it shattered. Stella’s eyes opened wide as she heaved, then she collapsed to the bed.

“Stella?” Loki shook her, praying he had not killed her. “Stella, wake up.” She was not responding. He leaned closer to her face and he sighed in relief as he felt Stella’s warm breath against his cheek, giving him goosebumps. He pulled the collar from her and placed it on the bedside table. The amethyst crystal fell and he also picked it up and pulled the broken string from her neck.

He took off her leather jacket and boots with a wave of his hand, sending it on the bedroom bench. He then noticed she was clutching a gold chain. He pulled it from her and studied the pendant. It was two crossed spears. He clutched his hand and he felt a low hum of energy from it. He placed it next to the dagger on her bedside table.

Loki sat next to her bed and rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands. He studied the violet crystal and remembered seeing this dangling on her neck since they met in Greece. He sat back on the chair and clasped his other hand. His hand glowed golden-green and a silver string appeared. Before he could stop it, he already placed an enchantment for protection on the thread. His lips parted, surprised at what he had done. He could revoke the spell. Then he looked at Stella and realized she needed it.

He threaded her crystal and placed it properly on the table. Loki then decides to stay until she comes around.

Praying she comes around or else he’ll be back in the dungeons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gif not mine
> 
> Things are getting interesting in this part of the town! Let me know what you think!
> 
> I also posted an original fic, The Call. Head on to my AO3 account to check it out! :)
> 
> Visit (and/or follow me hehe) on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	9. The Saving Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor realized what was in store for Asgard, and that there is more to what he is seeing from Loki. Stella’s encounter with the twins resulted in her losing something important.

### Chapter 8: The Saving Type

Thor and Loki were standing at the end of Stella's room, looking out the window. Loki has a cup of tea in his hand. "So Heimdall's right?" Thor asked his brother. 

"Yes, he was." Loki took a sip of his tea. "They were about to kill her. They were _close_ to killing her." 

Thor studied the fragment of the band from Stella's neck in his hands. "What do you think this is? Does this only impede one's power or tortures the one who wears it?"

"She said it was about to kill her. She was in so much pain because of it." Loki glanced at Stella, who was still asleep. "It is a torture device. It kills you slowly." 

Thor noticed Loki's eyebrows creased in agitation. "Brother, you are worried." 

Loki looked at him and straightened himself. "I am worried we wouldn't find the tesseract if she does not come around. This is her brother we’re facing. We need her for that even though he attacked me." He puts his empty teacup on the table. 

“You said you could work on this case alone. Now, why are you telling me that we need her?” Thor turned to his brother.

Loki stood still. _I said what?_ Then he remembered he told Thor that they needed her. It was a slip of the tongue from the Silvertongue. He cursed himself and took a different course. “We should have taken the tesseract in the first place, not entrusting it with these inferior Midgardians,” Loki said in spite. Thor threw him a look. Loki raised a finger. “This was your idea. I can’t believe Odin agreed to your plan. Now look, it’s missing. Probably in the wrong hands.”

“It even was in the wrong hands when you were holding it,” Thor replied nonchalantly.

Loki stepped forward, green eyes blazing in fury. “At least I didn’t lose track of it. I would never.” He gestured as he emphasized his words. “Please remind me why you did this?” He stopped beside Thor.

Thor looked outside the window. “I am not repeating myself,” he replied darkly.

“You wanted to help Midgardians advance their technology? Huh?” Loki sneered.

“Loki, enough.” Thor hissed as he snapped his head to Loki’s direction.

“Now look.” Loki extended his hand to Stella’s direction. “Someone wants to kill the demigod guardian. I wouldn’t even be surprised to find out someone also wants us dead. What’s new anyway?”

But Thor raised an eyebrow. His brother was acting peculiar. Thor didn’t feel any ounce of regret because he was too focused on studying Loki as the latter paced between him and the bed where Stella was still unconscious.

Loki ran a hand through his hair. "The amulet from the twins, the one I showed you, it seemed enchanted. I felt a low hum of energy throbbing from it." He said urgently. “I also wouldn’t be surprised that they already harnessed the tesseract’s energy to create those bands.”

Thor was studying him, ignoring what he just said. "You have grown your heart, have you not?"

"Huh?" Loki snapped his head to him, seeing a curious look on Thor’s face.

"That look on your face," Thor said amusingly. "It is foreign.” Loki gave him now a confused look, still unsure of what to feel. “This is the first time I’ve seen it. You’re furious but you’re worried like your life depends on it."

"I am worried because we cannot come home without the Tesseract. Of course, my life depends on it! You know what will happen if we can’t find it.” Loki hissed. Thor knows exactly what will happen to his brother. It’ll be eons in the dungeons. “Besides, you don’t know what this trouble entails. It does not only involve Asgard, Midgard, or Olympus.” Loki turned his back to his brother as his eyes widened in realization. He was afraid all of a sudden. He dropped his arms, clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to calm himself down. As much as he wanted to forget the whole reason why he had the tesseract, he couldn’t. He can run, but he can never hide.

Thor felt a shift in Loki’s mood. “Is there something else you want me to know, Loki?”

Loki watched Stella’s chest rise and fall for a moment. He suddenly has thoughts of an inhuman hand wrapped around her neck. He was sure the hand in this vision did not belong to Ares. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t let that happen to her. If they wanted to hurt someone, it had to be him. But, he thought, as much as possible I hope they won’t interfere this time. It’ll be too much to handle two problems for now. He opened his eyes and found relief when he saw her still breathing.

Thor stood beside his brother. “What do you mean this does not only involve our realm and theirs? Is there something else that I should know?” Thor insisted.

Loki clenched his jaw. “Let’s just bring the Tesseract to Asgard.”

"You really want to go back to Asgard?" He asked carefully, waving the fragment between them. Thor knew there was something more to how Loki was behaving and he knew it had something to do with Stella. 

But little did Thor know, it was more than Stella and the missing tesseract. "Yes. I quite miss my peaceful chambers." Loki snatched the fragment from Thor and studied it. Thor frowned, knowing that there’s something deeper behind how Loki was acting.

Stella stirred on the bed and sighed. The brothers turned upon her sigh and walked to the bed. Thor stopped by the foot of the bed but Loki stopped beside it. Thor smirked at this. 

Stella opened her eyes and saw Loki over her. "How long have I been out?" She asked immediately, her voice hoarse. 

"10 hours by now," Loki replied. 

"Wow, thanks to the beatings I am catching up on my sleep." She was still lying down, not daring to move an inch more. Loki smirked over her snarky remark even when she's seriously injured. She looked at the two gods in her room. “Why are you two worked up? Is there trouble?”

Loki sighed. “Nothing to worry about, Stella.” Stella’s eyes narrowed in deep thought.

"How are you feeling, Lady Lords?" Thor asked. 

Stella looked at him. “I'm not sure." She tried getting up, pushing herself up with her right arm. "Ouch, everything hurts." Loki caught her and helped her sit up. "Thanks." 

Loki looked at her. "How do I look?" She asked them. 

"Uh." Thor paused and folded his arms across his chest. "Not good." 

She smirked. "Man, those twins totaled me." She placed her hand on her neck and she hissed. “Ah! Goddammit!” Her eyes watered from the sting. She wanted to hold her neck again but was scared that it would sting. She resorted to crumpling the blanket as she let the pain subside. “What happened here?” Her confused eyes darted to Loki.

"About that, your skin got burned because of me breaking the band." Thor gave Loki a questionable look as the latter started to explain. "She asked me to break it," he told his brother. "I couldn't open it with this dagger nor mine." He gestured at the Aresian dagger sitting on the nightstand.

"Oh yeah. I remember I asked you to do it. Thanks. I didn’t know it would sting but better to be burned than to be dead, am I right?" She chuckled at her own joke.

“Were there no alternatives?” Thor asked Loki.

“If we would have explored alternatives, I would have died because of it. Loki’s the only sorcerer I know who can destroy it. We needed to take risks.” Stella answered for Loki.

“But he could have killed you.” Thor retorted.

“That’s what I said! Did you even think I didn’t tell her that?” Loki proclaimed to his brother.

“Hey! I’m alive, okay.” She raised her hand, like a referee halting a match. “He saved me and I’m grateful to him.” Loki’s eyes veered to her, not believing what he just heard. No one was ever grateful for him saving their life but here’s Stella, thanking him. _She doesn’t know anything about me_ , he thought.

Thor shifted on his legs, uncomfortable with the thought. The thought of Loki using his sorcery to save someone never crossed his mind. He looked at his younger brother, amazed that he could be selfless. _Something’s different. Something in him changed_ , he thought.

Stella flicked her hand, expecting a blue flame to appear in her hand, but there was nothing. Confused, she raised her hand, palm up, and closed her eyes. She felt her energy pulse lightly inside. Since it seems she can’t let her magic flow through her hand easily, she mentally led that energy to her palm. She could feel the electricity flowing through her fingers but when she opened her eyes, she couldn't see the blue hue from her hand. She took a deep breath and did it again, this time trying to create a force shield. But she couldn’t. She fell into the pillows after she tried.

Loki instantly placed his hand on her back, catching her. He helped her sit against the bed’s headboard as Thor observed them at the foot of the bed. "This has never happened before.” Stella raised her hands before her, gazing at it in utter confusion. “The band seemed to have weakened my energy. Is this possible?” She asked Loki, who was sitting at the chair next to the bed.

Loki gulped, afraid of the truth. “There are objects that can drain a sorcerer’s magic,” he replied quietly. “Have you heard of this occurrence before from your kind?”

Stella’s brows furrowed. She turned to Loki but stared at the NYC skyline behind him. “I have not heard of this instance from others before. I don’t even know if there are other demigods like me who have innate energies.” Her brown eyes veered back to Loki. “Has this happened to you?”

“Not that I could remember. Did you say this is innate?” She nodded. “Then I believe you can reclaim that the way you strengthen your energies back when you first felt it,” he suggested.

“I wish mother was here to help her.” Thor pondered. Loki’s gaze dropped and he gulped, showing Stella a few seconds of vulnerability.

Stella pressed her head on the wood behind her. “If that’s the case then it might take a long time before I can recharge," she told them. “I have to meditate and talk to Athena regarding this.” She was scared. Losing something that has defined her whole life would take a toll on her. Her magic was the reason why Athena trusted her to become the guardian. Tears threatened to show but she took a deep breath and controlled her emotions. She was not the one to openly cry. But she was afraid her sister would strip everything from her. At that point, she doesn’t even know what else to do if it has disappeared completely.

"This band, is it the same band you placed on Ares in Asgard?" Thor asked. 

Stella turned to her nightstand. "I don't think so.” She picked up the fragment Loki returned at one point a while ago. “The band I used was only to contain one's energy. It is painful but only for a moment of time. Unlike this one, it can still restrain me but I can feel myself being sucked out of consciousness," she explained as she studied the fragment.

"The amulet also has energy coursing through it. I can feel it but it is faint." Loki informed her. 

"I am worried about that, to be quite honest." She looked at them. "What if that's a tracker?" 

Thor straightened up. "Then we will welcome them with loaded arms."

She cleared her throat before she spoke. “Huh. What a weird way to say it,” she mused.

“Also-” Loki picked up her amethyst necklace “-I accidentally broke your necklace when I destroyed the collar. I replaced the chain but the crystal’s in good condition.” He gave it to her.

Her eyes twinkled upon seeing it. “Oh. Thanks a lot, Loki.” She beamed and studied the crystal. “It was my mother’s,” she said fondly.

“If I may ask, is it enchanted?”

She chuckled. “Nope. But enchanted with love, maybe. I wish though. I wish it could help me strengthen my energy.” Loki smiled at her reply.

When the brothers left her room, Stella pushed herself to stand regardless of the pain she's feeling. She locked her bedroom and drew a warm bath. The shelf in the bathroom was full of bath and body products and luckily the shelf has an arnica bath bomb. She placed one and fizzed. She then took off her clothes like a normal human being and checked herself in the mirror. 

She gasped at her reflection. She looked worse than she thought. A map of bright red, blue, and black hues covered a huge part of her skin. There was more colored skin than her normal, tanned skin. She touched her neck and she felt Loki's light touch. She wondered why she has a remnant of that feeling. She dipped into the tub and let her mind and tears drift.

* * *

"Oh my god, you look like someone dumped gasoline on you and lit you up," Stark commented when Stella showed up in the medical bay where she was expected to be. She was wearing a white, v-neck shirt, dark green jeans, and black, laced-up boots; clothes she had acquired with the help of the Asgardian brothers.

"My insides would scare the hell out of you," Stella replied as she sat at the foot of the bed.

"I've seen worse." Natasha quipped. 

"Loki told us what happened," Bruce said as he checked Stella's blood pressure. "He said you had two men after you." 

Stella nodded. "Yeah. Ares' sons. Speaking of which-" she gave Tony the necklace "-I managed to grab that from one of them. Loki said there's magic coursing through it, though I can't feel it now because those men clamped me with something." 

He studied the amulet. "It’s blinking, that’s for sure. Let me run scans on this," he said and left the room.

“What do you mean you can’t feel the magic on the necklace?” Natasha inquired.

Stella raised her hand and concentrated on pulling her energy within and attempting to emit even a faint magical pulse from her hand. Natasha and Bruce backed away when they realized what she was doing. Stella extended her hand, pointing it on the wall.

“I hope you don’t plan on blowing up this room,” Bruce told her.

Stella clenched her hand but when she opened it, there was nothing. She gritted her teeth and shook her head. “There’s still nothing.” She dropped her head. “Fuck!” She said in a low voice.

“Did you lose your powers?” Natasha asked as she took a step closer to Stella to assess her injuries.

“Not really. It’s there. It’s here.” Stella jabbed a finger to her sternum and looked at Natasha. “I just can’t feel it running through my veins. Normally it’s just there, I don’t need to pull it out from my core. What they placed on me weakened my energy.”

Despite Stella’s efforts of trying to look collected, Natasha could see panic mixed with worry in her eyes and she couldn’t help but feel worried too. Bruce also felt Stella’s worry and acknowledged it with a nod at Natasha’s direction. Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you think you can recover from that?” Natasha asked. Stella slightly turned her head to Natasha’s hand and her eyes darted all over.

Stella’s head dropped again to look at her hands. She could feel her cheeks warming up at Natasha’s gesture and her own reaction. “Yeah. I think. I hope so. I just need a few days to meditate. Guide everything to the center and out, as Loki suggested.” She pulled her legs up the bed and sat cross-legged. She rested her elbow on her knee and facepalmed. “God, I feel like I’ll be a useless unit here.” She heaved out a frustrated sigh. “I need my energy back, ASAP.”

“It couldn’t be avoided, Stell. Everyone gets injured. But I don’t know how you regain your energy. It’s my first time hearing anything about this.” Bruce shared. 

"Yeah. The thing is, I don't have any idea how long it will take me to recover it."

"Have you heard of this incident with anyone you know before?" Bruce asked as he tapped her left arm. She shook her head. “I need to check your blood pressure.” Stella extended her left arm and he strapped her with the digital sphygmomanometer's cuff. He pressed a button and the cuff inflated. "Blood pressure normal,” he muttered as he checked when the device beeped, signaling that it was done. We're going to do something about that burn." Natasha passed some cotton pads to Bruce. "What happened here?" He gestured at the burn on her neck.

"The men clamped me with a band that restricted my power, my magic. This was more powerful than the one I used on Ares ‘cause I could feel like I was dying every minute. And now I don’t have my powers. Great." Stella threw a hand in the air. 

"And it burned you in the process?" Bruce asked gently. 

"No. That is the result of Loki saving me." 

Natasha looked at her. "Loki saved you? Is that right?" Stella nodded. "How?" 

"He couldn't use his dagger nor the dagger from the men to open the band. I asked him to use his magic. It burned me in the process. Kind of like the price to pay for me to live and regain my powers." She winced as Bruce placed ointment on her burn. "If it weren't for him I would have died. I'd rather burn than die."

"Huh." Natasha was still skeptical. "Can’t see him as the saving type."

"Loki showed up out of nowhere and killed them," Stella added.

"And there's the Loki I know." Natasha snickered. Stella could feel the tension between her and Natasha going down.

"Maybe he has changed or he has a deal with his father that made him change," Bruce concluded. Stella could feel the cooling sensation the pad gave off and she let out an airy “ah”. "Can I see your bruises?" Stella looked at him with a little uncertainty. "It's okay, I told you I've seen worse."

“Uh…” Stella was not used to taking off her shirt in front of anyone. Not even the doctors. It just doesn’t feel right for her. It’s not that she was insecure or something but she just doesn’t want people to see her naked. But now she feels ridiculous. They needed to treat her and she wants to be healed as soon as possible. And she wants to trust these people. In her head, she is groaning and ruffling her hair in frustration. She feels that she was being silly.

Natasha immediately knows what’s up. “Uh, Bruce. I think you need to leave the room.” She glanced at him.

“Oh.” Bruce adjusted his glasses, trying not to feel awkward. “Okay. You know how to put these on, right?” Natasha smirked and nodded. “Right, I’ll be outside if you need help.” Bruce turned around to the door but stopped when Stella called him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Stella trailed off as she fingered the hem of her shirt.

“No, it’s okay. I understand.” He smiled sympathetically.

“No, I’m sorry. You’re a doctor. I should trust you.”

Bruce faced her fully. “Are you sure?”

Stella smiled and nodded. “I’m sorry, I’m being silly.”

“No, no. It’s okay. You can tell us what’s making you comfortable and not.” Natasha nodded in agreement.

Stella wanted to slap herself for being silly. She doesn’t even know why she doesn’t want to pull up her shirt in front of a medical doctor. She doesn’t want to make a fuss out of this. Now she doesn’t feel right. But she gulped and heaved a sigh. “No. I’ll...let’s do this,” she said firmly.

Stella pulled up her shirt and winced. Natasha helped her take off her shirt. "Yeah, I've seen worse," Natasha commented. "Don't worry, this will heal in no time." 

Bruce worked on putting pads on Stella's bruised skin, careful not to let his gloved hands touch her skin so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. He told her that some spots had turned red and tender. "I didn't have time to shift into my armor. Also, I was scared I would have been seen by mortals," she explained.

"Makes sense. So, while you have this, you can't do anything physical yet." Stella's face contorted in frustration. "No." Bruce raised a finger, preventing her from talking further. "You have to let yourself heal. We don't know what more that band can do to your body. We won't take any chances." 

Stella sighed. Natasha placed a hand on her knee. "Don't worry, you'll get through this. Those pads can fix you up in a week and you'll be up and running again." Natasha smiled at her comfortingly.

Bruce peered at Natasha over his glasses. “Wow coming from you who also wouldn’t stand down when seriously injured.”

“I can’t sit still, y’ know. I need to have something to do.”

“And that’s why you shouldn’t listen to Natasha when it comes to this kind of talk,” Bruce told Stella.

Stella smirked. "How do you guys do it? Still be up and running despite being thrown around?" 

Bruce chuckled. "The Hulk doesn't let me feel pain. I guess I'm lucky." 

"A few painkillers and vodka," Natasha added. 

"I think I need that vodka," Stella commented. With the help of Natasha, she wore her shirt.

After getting patched up by Bruce, next on her list is to find Loki. She never had the chance to thank him properly since she last saw him in her room. But she got sidetracked by other things. Since she left the medical bay, she went straight to Stark’s lab to check out what the necklace was all about. Then she picked up the dagger from her room to show it to the three of them. She also spent some time alone on the rooftop, meditating and trying to pull her powers to the surface. She has been so preoccupied with the situation that it took Natasha, Bruce, and even Tony, who is also a hard-headed patient, to convince her to take it easy and heal.

After dinner, Stella went back to her room to get that wine Athena made her bring before finding Loki. Then she saw him in the common area, reading a book on the couch. She hid the bottle behind her.

She cleared her throat as she stopped in front of him. "Loki?" 

He turned on his seat. "Yes, Stella?" 

"I, uh, just want to say thanks. Thank you, very much."

He gazed at her in surprise. "You're welcome, I suppose," he said and continued reading, though he wasn't really reading but fixing his eyes on her boots, waiting if there's something more. 

Stella tried so hard not to be awkward. She shifted on her feet and cleared her throat once more. "I...uh...I actually brought you a gift." 

He looked up, amused. "A gift?" He closed his book. "Why so?" 

"'Cause you saved me last night and killed those two. And you replaced my necklace. And you and Thor gave me clothes. I still have to pay you for that."

Loki looked at her, not sure of what to do. _Should I indulge her or not?_ He grinned. "Think nothing of it. I needed to do that because we need the tesseract." Oh, he did not indulge her. "We will be banished from Asgard if we fail to return that artifact." _What am I doing? I should want this_. “As for the clothes, it’s okay. You don’t need to pay for them.”

“How did you pay for the clothes? I didn’t give you my money.”

He stood up. “It’s just a little trick I have to do.” He rubbed his fingers together and a gold-green vapor appeared. Stella gave him a ‘ _you’ve got to be kidding me_ ’ look. “What? I’m Loki.” He walked past her.

"Alright, more wine for me. Anyway, Agent Romanoff said vodka helps so I guess this can too." Stella said nonchalantly as she walked to the pantry to get a wine glass. "Sure you don't want some? These are from Santorini. One of the best." 

"No, thank you," he said over his shoulder and started to walk to his room, disappointed with himself. Stella sighed. _I thought I could open myself to the possibilities, but it looks like I can't_ , she thought as she sipped her wine. _And he’s acting super weird. A while ago he was so concerned and tender but now he’s back to his snarky self. Loki indeed_.

Loki closed the door behind him and hissed at himself. He had the chance. He couldn't believe he walked out. He took a deep breath and got out of his room. 

"Wow, you're back. Why?" She grinned, amused. She was sitting on one of the barstools by the table.

He settled on a stool in front of her. "You know you shouldn't be drinking if you're under medication. Alcohol and medicines don't mix well with your mortal body. Also, I don’t know how alcohol can affect your weakened energy."

 _There’s the weirdly concerned Loki_.

“Are you forgetting that I’m part Zeus?” Stella raised an eyebrow as she slowly tipped the wine glass. Loki glared at her like a father trying to discipline his misbehaving child. She finished her wine in one gulp. “Maybe I just need to get hit by a lightning bolt to have it back. Wonder if Thor’s up for it?” She said as she grabbed another wine glass from the cupboard.

"Are you trying to be coy?" He asked her.

"Is it working?" Loki rolled his eyes at her question. _Someone is trying so hard to be me_ , he thought. "Thanks, again." He picked up the glass and gave her a suspicious look before bringing the glass to his lips. "Don't worry, that's clean. If you're worried about that kind of thing." 

"I'm not." He took a sip and _wow I did not expect that to be good_.

Stella chuckled at his reaction. "Told ya it was good." 

"Well for a Midgardian wine it's fairly good." 

" _Fairly_? Oh please. It's the best."

"You clearly have not had Asgardian liquor."

She shook her head. "Nope. Not a drop 'cause whenever I'm there I only spend a few minutes. It's like I'm driving by." He smirked at her remark. "You should bring me some." 

"I will not bring anything Asgardian for you," he jeered. 

_Or you can be that Asgardian something for me_. Stella thought of saying that out loud but she dismissed it. She might not see the light of day. She chuckled and smiled at the thought. "Never mind, I'll ask Thor. Bet he'll be more than happy to bring me some." 

"Yes, if he can find his way to the cellar." 

They drank their wine in silence. Stella's down to her third. "How are you feeling?" He asked, now concerned.

"Like pulp and I can't feel my energy surging in my veins." Stella studied her hand and tried feeling her energy. "It's there but it feels like it's sleeping." 

Loki grabbed her hand and closed his eyes, face stoic. He concentrated and felt the faintest of vibrations of Stella's energy deep in her core. He tried to pull it with his own energy and a surge pricked his palm. 

“What was that?” Stella asked when she felt a zap through her arm.

“I tried pulling your energy from your core,” he replied, not opening his eyes. He let a sliver of his energy through her and pulled. Stella’s jaw fell when she saw blue and green vapors emitting from her fingertips. Loki opened one eye to see what was happening. He let go of her hand. “Try again.”

Stella flicked her hand in the air but nothing happened. She did the same thing she did earlier that day, concentrated, and pulled her energy out to her hand. Nothing happened. “How did you do it?”

He held her once again, this time, he cradled both her hands on his, palms up. “It’s like fishing,” he explained and closed his eyes. “You throw your line -” he felt a line of his energy flowing through her “-then when you feel the tug, you extract that fish.”

Stella was observing him the whole time, mesmerized on how peaceful he looked. There were no creases on his face and it seems like he was in a lighter mood, taking her hand and trying to summon her own energy using his. She felt another zap through her arm and a piercing nudge in her sternum, but it wasn’t painful. A few seconds later their hands glowed. Loki’s green vapors displaying Stella’s blue vapors, although his was visibly stronger.

Loki opened his eyes to find an excited Stella. She bit her lower lip, trying to shush herself so as not to break his concentration. “It’s beautiful,” she uttered. Loki just smiled at her.

Then he felt his heartbeat faster than normal. That kind of rhythm where he would have difficulty gulping. That feeling he has not felt for a long time. For centuries.

"Is it there?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, it is. You need to work on amplifying it. I can’t keep on tugging it out of you. It’ll weaken me" 

"I’ll work on that." 

He slowly let go of her hands, letting his fingers caress her soft, tanned skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...what could happen next now Stella's powerless? What does Loki mean that it does not only involve their realms? And why is Loki acting in such a way? ( ¬_¬) hmmm...
> 
> And yes I made Dr. Bruce Banner an MD.
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! And don't forget to check my other works here if you haven't! (＾▽＾)


	10. Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella is nervous about Athena revoking her guardian status. On the other hand, Tony throws a party. Loki was not on board with the idea, so is Stella. Things went an interesting turn.

### Chapter 9: Risks

Two weeks in and Stella's powers are still dormant. The good news is her bruises are disappearing at a faster rate but she wished the pads Bruce placed on her can help her regain her energy. She has been spending more time in the gym, either working out or sparring with Natasha, or at the rooftop, meditating.

It has been days and Stella’s getting more frustrated, and Natasha notices. Her punches and kicks would throw off the Black Widow. Natasha understands her frustration, nevertheless. Stella keeps on apologizing whenever she throws Natasha off her feet.

“It’s okay. It’s not as painful as being thrown by an alien twice or thrice our size.” Natasha quipped.

Stella dropped her jaw. “But was my kick painful?”

Natasha stretched and pressed a hand on the left side of her torso where Stella kicked. “Not so much. I can handle it.” Natasha sat cross-legged on the mat next to Stella, who was sitting on the floor, knees bent. “How’s your magic?”

Stella hung her hand from her knee, palm open. “Still weak.” She pointed her palm to Natasha’s water bottle. The redhead turned to it. Stella concentrated and Natasha noticed the ripples inside the bottle. Stella exhaled loudly and the ripples stopped. “I can’t take down an enemy with this.”

“What were you trying to do?”

Stella sighed. “Push it.”

“But you’re physically strong. You have beaten me a lot of times now.” Natasha smirked proudly.

Stella lay flat on the floor, one knee perched up. “Yeah. If only it’s that easy.”

“What do you mean?”

“My power is one of the reasons why Athena made me a guardian. Well, the main reason, it is,” she admitted, her eyes set on the ceiling. “What if she’ll revoke it?” She sat and faced the other woman. “What am I gonna do?”

“I don’t think it’ll be the end for you. If that’s going to happen, I’m sure SHIELD has something for you to do.” Natasha told her with conviction.

“I don’t even think there are others like me.” Stella slouched.

“You haven’t lost your powers, Stella.”

The two women whipped their heads at the source of the voice. It was Loki, standing behind them. “How long have you been standing there?” Stella asked.

“Long enough to hear your fear of Athena revoking your responsibility.” He held his hands behind him. Stella replied with a “huh.”

“Any thoughts on Stella’s situation?” Natasha asked him with a raised brow.

“As I said, it’s still there. She just needs to keep on concentrating her energies to the center.” Loki explained as he walked towards Stella. He held out his hand. “May I?” Stella looked at his hand then up to him. Loki waited for her to move. When Stella placed her left hand on his, he released a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. “Extend your hand to the water bottle.” He instructed her.

“Are you doing the same thing you did?” Stella asked as she lifted her other arm.

Loki shrugged. “Sort of.”

Natasha watched the two.

Loki let his energy flow from his center to his hand, then transferred to Stella’s. Stella felt that zap go through her left hand, then it passed through her chest. A blue beam appeared from her right hand and zoomed to the water bottle, toppling it.

“What the-” Stella muttered in shock. She released Loki’s hand and brought it to her chest. “What did you do?”

“I amplified your magic. I transferred some of mine to trigger and support yours,” he answered. “I’ve been studying but I’m not sure if your Greek demigod status can handle ancient Asgardian magic.”

Natasha blinked. She couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her. Loki was undeniably helpful this time.

Stella perked up. “How does it work? I will do anything just to have it back.”

He paced in front of them. “Potions and some spells to trigger it, one of the processes is the one I did. Though it can drain my own, or worse, kill you.”

“Okay, never mind.” Stella waved her hand. “Keep your magic active. We can’t afford two sorcerers to be magicless.”

Loki cocked his head to the side. “You’re worried about me draining my magic but you’re not worried about me accidentally killing you?”

“I said we can’t afford the two of us to be magicless.” Stella reiterated. Loki shrugged.

“Why are you so helpful all of a sudden?” Natasha blurted out.

Loki stopped and faced Natasha. “I’m doing all these for the tesseract. That’s it,” he declared.

Stella felt a stone sink in her stomach. A record screech in her head. A sting in her chest. Her expression didn’t change but deep inside her jaw already dropped. 

_Hey, hey, hey, Stella. Just because this dude’s holding your hand doesn’t mean he likes you. Get over it. You’re just touch-starved_. She mentally scolded herself.

She then chuckled instead. “Yeah. Ares is powerful. Makes sense.” She stood up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Tony and I have something to do after breakfast. See you two around.” She turned to the door and left them and her chaotic emotions.

* * *

Up in the labs after breakfast, just as she said, Stella began tinkering with Stark over a new restricting band that can match the power of the band the twins left.

"Is this even humane?" She wondered as she studied the band at eye level.

"You're a demigod with superhuman powers dealing with other demigods sent your way trying to kill you with matching superhuman powers and you're asking if putting on that band is even humane?" Stark stopped across her. "Now my question is, are you insane?"

She chuckled. "I was just wondering if this can qualify for the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. It's excessively injurious -” she wiggled her fingers in the air as she said those words “-according to them.”

He shook his head in return. "You've gotta be kidding me, kid. We're dealing with demigods and extraterrestrial beings here and your concern is if what we're doing is under the laws of the United Nations?" Stark poked a probe in the air between them as he explained. "I bet you those Chitauri and Asgard were not members of the UN. Are Zeus, Athena, and the others part of the UN?" Stella laughed. "Yeah, I don't think so." 

“But Athena’s influence is why the UN came to be and I could get sanctioned by them if I do something that might hurt civilians,” she explained.

“Is she part of the council, though?” Stella smiled and shook her head in reply. “There you go. So don’t worry about that being too much. Anyway, we’re putting this on an errant god, not on civilians.”

“Isn’t the Avengers an international organization by now? Or is it S.H.I.E.L.D?” Stella picked up a micro screw with her probe as she asked. She passed the probe to Tony.

Tony received the probe and inserted the screw into a hole in the band. “S.H.I.E.L.D is.”

“So since the Avengers is a project of S.H.I.E.L.D you’ll be bound by international rules at some point.” She asked, peering through the holoscreen projecting the band’s blueprint between them.

“I don’t have to worry about them yet. They’re not yet coming for our asses anyway. We haven’t done anything wrong as far as we are concerned.” Tony replied, not looking up from his work. “By the way.” Tony pushed himself, his swivel chair transporting him to the screen a few feet from the working desk. “What's the deal with Reindeer Games?”

“What are Reindeer Games?” She asked as she studied the blueprint.

“It’s not an ‘are’, it’s an ‘is’.” Tony pushed himself back to the working desk. “It’s Loki.”

“Why do you call him ‘Reindeer Games’?”

Tony licked his lips. “Uh. He looks like a reindeer.” Stella’s lips curved and she nodded. “Anyway, you know anything?”

“What do you want to know?” She glanced at him.

“Why he’s here and why his father wanted him to work on this.” Tony looked at her through the holoscreen.

“All I know is that Odin wanted a sorcerer to work on this and the only sorcerer he can...trust...?-” she made the quotation marks gesture “-is him.”

Tony raised his brows. “Wow. He could still trust him after all he did to New York.”

Stella dropped the micro driver and replaced it with another tool. “He’s the only living Asgardian sorcerer, I think. As far as Athena is concerned. Amora’s long dead and Karnilla’s powers are fading.”

“Who are they?”

“Amora is one of the powerful Asgardian sorceresses. She was Karnilla’s apprentice.”

Tony folded his arms on the table. “How did you know these things?”

“Told ya, I have a seat in their war room,” she replied casually without looking up. “I was a consultant. And Athena trusts Loki.”

“Yeah, about that.” He scratched his nose. “Why? I mean, with all due respect to your sister, but why?”

“She trusts his cunningness and ability, and she’s never wrong on things.” 

Tony crossed his arms on his chest. “So she’s putting all her money on a god who almost blew up a city?”

“Yeah. She’s putting all her drachmas on him.” She passed a fragment to Tony. “Check it out. Is it good?”

Tony studied the fragment. “Yes, it is. You’re good at this. Are you sure you weren’t an engineering major?”

Stella smiled. “I just spent hours at my mom’s workshop.” Stella stretched her back as she stood up and studied the collar Loki destroyed. Tony and Bruce put the pieces back together to study its composition and structure. “There’s nothing in here?”

His eyes scanned the room and found her on the east side of the lab, studying the broken collar. “Yeah. Couldn’t even pick up the slightest energy signature.”

“So that means one thing: Loki’s magic can cancel out their magic, at least with this collar.”

The elevator doors opened and Pepper entered the lab. Tony turned on the micro drill and looked up to see who entered. "Hey Pep." He beamed.

"Hi, Miss Potts." Stella nodded to her and Pepper reciprocated the greeting as she strode to Stark.

"Everything's ready for tonight," Pepper told Tony as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "We also activated the entry cards for the guests." Stella returned to her seat and continued to focus on testing the energy levels of the band, politely trying to exclude herself from their conversation. She heard Tony mutter something to Pepper.

"Hey, little Athena," Tony called her back to Earth. Stella's eyes snapped back to them. "Pepper was calling you, you were so in the zone there."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Potts. What was it?" She apologetically smiled.

"You ready for tonight?" Pepper asked.

"Uh, what's happening tonight?" She asked as she removed her safety glasses.

"There will be a Stark corporate party upstairs. We'll be utilizing the top floor. Everyone who resides in this building is invited." Pepper explained.

 _A party, right. What a security risk_. She thought.

"I bet you didn't know." Tony turned to Pepper. "She's been too busy lately."

"Yeah, I’m sorry just heard of it now," Stella mumbled as she went back to working on the band.

"It's no problem! Do you have something to wear?" She shook her head. "I can let you borrow some of my dresses and shoes if you want. I believe we have the same size?"

"Thank you very much Miss Potts but I think I can buy one..."

"If you're thinking of buying one, kid, then you might as well leave this building before I finish my sentence because the party will start in about 6 hours and I bet you can't scour the whole of Manhattan or New York for your dress, shoes, et cetera." She smiled and bit her lower lip, acting like she's thinking. "Why are you still here in front of us?"

"Yeah, I think it's practical to borrow."

"Perfect!" Pepper grabbed Stella by her arm and they walked to the doors. "We'll see you later, Tony!"

* * *

The party was a formal event. Stella didn't have a problem dressing up for that, but she decided to choose the colors close to her heart: white and gold. She easily picked a Grecian-inspired white dress from Pepper's walk-in wardrobe. The dress was flowy, simple yet elegant. The plunging neckline showed her collarbone, a part of her body that she loves flaunting in the mirror. Diamond-specked gold bars fastened the cloth on her shoulder. The same design cinched her waist. Good thing her physical injuries had healed during the past week.

Since Stella can't do her hair and makeup without her magic, with Pepper's permission, she borrowed her palettes and gave herself dramatic smokey eyes and light lipstick. She put up her hair in a braided bun with strands of hair framing her face. She put on the gold, dangling, dagger earrings she bought from one of the queer antique jewelry shops in the middle of New York.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled sweetly. _Damn, I'm so pretty I could take myself out on a date_.

Before she could forget, she sheathed the Aresian blade to its sleeve strapped on her right thigh. She wore the gold, heeled sandals she borrowed from Pepper and got out of her room to check on Natasha.

Just in time, Loki closed his bedroom door behind him.

They stopped in their tracks upon seeing each other. Loki's breath hitched when he saw the demigoddess all made up before him. Her hair was up, emphasizing her slender neck he was now tempted to touch. Her eye makeup was just right, and Loki just noticed that her almond-shaped eyes were expressive. Right now she’s looking at him in awe and he could see it through her eyes. Her lips seemed as soft as a rose petal. Oh, how he wanted to kiss it.

Stella's lips parted when she saw Loki suited up for the event. She didn't expect him to have a sleek build. Muscular, but sleek, and it shows in his ensemble. Unlike Thor who's all muscle and looking buff. Loki was wearing the deepest, darkest shade of green for his jacket, and the deepest, darkest shade of green slacks that perfectly fit his toned legs - not too tight, not too loose. Just right. The two top buttons of his white dress shirt were unbuttoned, giving a casual touch. _I bet that two-piece suit is Versace_ , she thought. She couldn’t help but admire him in his Midgardian clothes. He let out that grandiose aura and it was a new thing for her to see since she was used to seeing him in his Asgardian leather garb.

"You look exceptionally good, Stella." He finally said after a few seconds of being slack-jawed.

"You too, Loki." She smiled.

"I know.” Stella rolled her eyes in reply. “Though I am not fully on board with what Stark has organized upstairs. It might risk our security." He started, trying not to be enchanted with how she looked tonight. _She looked like a goddess, a princess_ , he thought.

She chuckled. "You and I, both. But he assured me that guests don't have access to any floors of the building and we're heavily guarded by S.H.I.E.L.D agents."

"By them? And to think they manage to lose the tesseract. How amusing." He replied. 

"Well, we gotta trust them this time and we're all here. We'll keep our eyes and ears open. I'm not putting down my guard." She tapped her right leg.

He saw her gesture. "Do you have a concealed weapon?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She pulled up her dress and showed the dagger strapped on her leg, just below her knee. Loki pulled his hand from his pocket and ran a finger on his lower lip, trying not to think of other things that involved Stella other than her swinging a sword or flinging her beams off her hands. "It's better to be prepared than to be caught off-guard. And remember, I don't have my powers back yet."

Loki was about to suggest that she should wear the amethyst necklace since the chain has a protective enchantment but he dismissed it, thinking that she might find the gesture creepy or something. And it wouldn’t match her dress. "Of course.” He smirked. “Well, then." He ran a hand on his dress shirt, smoothing the invisible creases on it. "I shall see you upstairs." He smirked and left for the elevator.

Stella nodded and proceeded to walk to Natasha's door and knocked. "Agent Romanoff?"

"Stella?" The door opened, revealing Natasha in a black, silk, off-shoulder long gown. "Wow, you look like a legit goddess."

"And you're a bombshell, Agent." They laughed.

"Call me Natasha," she replied and closed the door behind her. Stella held her breath, surprised Agent Romanoff asked her to call her by name. "Ready?" Stella nodded and they proceeded to the top floor.

The room was already filled with Stark Industries' guests. Some people recognized Natasha and some gaped upon seeing Stella tailing behind her. They made a beeline to the bar area.

"I did not expect this amount of people to fit in this room," Stella commented as she picked up her drink.

"It looks small?" Stella nodded at her in reply.

A man in a navy blue suit lit up when he saw Natasha by the bar. He started to approach them and when Natasha saw him, she raised her hand in greeting.

"Hey, Rhodey," Natasha said to the newcomer. "Glad to see you here."

"Of course I have to be here." Rhodey turned to Stella. "And you must be Detective Stella Lords?" He reached his hand out.

Stella accepted his handshake. "Yes. I'm sorry, we haven't met before?"

"Yeah. I'm James Rhodes -"

"Stark's best friend." Natasha interrupted.

He waved his hand to Natasha in agreement. "Well, yeah. I work with the USAF and also with Tony...Stark. He told me about you and what you're here for."

She raised an eyebrow, unsure if this man can be trusted. Natasha noticed her change. "Don't worry, Rhodey's with us," she told Stella.

"Okay," she said slowly. "What did he tell you?"

"About the disappearance of the people from Kalambaka; said that it's connected to who you're after." He leaned closer to her. "And I know about the tesseract. I have my eyes on the case, too," he whispered.

Stella realized that he is to be trusted. "Yeah, about that. Steve thinks they're related."

"Thought so, too." He sipped on his drink.

Stella looked around and more people filed in as the minutes passed by. "This crowd is making me nervous," she whispered to her companions. "It's a high-security risk."

"Is that why your earrings are daggers?" Natasha asked her.

"Yeah. Laced with poison. You'll never know who'll attempt to take your life in any crowd." She winked at them and they chuckled.

"You don't have to worry about that now," Natasha told her, jerking her head at a man in a black suit, on his way to them. "Hey Clint, didn't expect to see you here." 

"Stark was bugging me to come. Rhodey." Clint made a small nod at Rhodey before the latter went on his way to meet Stark’s other guests.

"Clint, this is Detective Stella Lords." Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder. Stella said hi and extended a hand. 

"Ah, yes. Fury told me about you. Good to finally meet you." He said as he shook her hand. "You're here for the missing Tesseract case?" 

"Among others." She nodded.

“Is it true that you’re a demigod?” Clint asked. Natasha shot him a look and he noticed. “It’s my first time to meet her and I’ve heard rumors from the S.H.I.E.L.D facility,” he told Natasha.

Stella cocked her head. Natasha made a mental note to slap Clint. “What rumors?”

“That Fury signed a demigod into the team.”

Natasha opened her mouth to speak but Stella beat her to it. “Not really a full-time member of the Avengers. More like a _de facto_ member.” She gave them a shy smirk.

Clint studied her over his drink. “I think you can be an Avenger.”

Stella looked at both of them and they looked pretty sure of that fact. She smiled, trying not to let the awkwardness show. “That’s good to hear but I need to go back to Eastern Europe after this. They don’t have the Avengers there.”

“Too bad, I think you’ll be a great addition to the team.” Natasha declared.

Stella almost spat her drink. “Coming from someone who stopped the elevator car to interrogate me?” She tilted her glass to her, which was kind of a dangerous thing to do, now that she thought about it. _I did that to the freakin’ Black Widow_. But she didn’t let her face betray her.

Stella studied Natasha’s face. Clint took notice of the women standing on his sides. “You did that on the first day you met her? You fully know Fury trusts her,” he told Natasha.

Stella finally took a sip when Natasha genuinely laughed. “I’m sorry about that, Stella. I just wanted to make sure Fury made the right decision. Looks like he did.”

Now Stella was the one who can’t fully trust Natasha. “I won’t let you down. I can’t.”

“I don’t think you will.” Natasha returned her wink. “I can tell.”

“Also, another thing.” Clint gestured with his glass. “I heard Fury was okay with letting Loki work under our supervision.” Stella looked at him because his voice dropped to a suspicious level.

“It’s a complicated set-up but, yes, he is,” Natasha replied.

“Why?”

“Because he knows what this man is after, and we are facing a god. Fury thinks we need Thor, Loki, and Stella.” Natasha explained.

“But we have defeated Loki and his army of aliens back in 2012, why do we still need him?” Clint dropped his voice. “We could defeat a god just the six of us.” Clint’s eyes flicked to Stella. “No offense,” he told her.

“None taken.” She gave him a toothless smile.

Natasha sighed and took a sip of her drink. “Clint, the god we’re facing is Stella’s half-brother.”

Clint frowned and his brows furrowed. His eyes darted from Stella to Natasha. “Is Fury letting us in on other families’ problems now? First, it was Thor and Loki then now this.”

“You might have forgotten that the tesseract’s missing and this man could pull up a Hydra on Earth any minute from now.” Natasha hissed. Stella picked up another drink. She could feel Clint’s distrust of her. “I trust her, Clint.” Stella felt lighter when she heard Natasha say those words. 

Clint sighed and nodded. “You know I trust you,” he told Natasha before he left them.

“I’m sorry about that.” Natasha turned to Stella, who was trying not to feel awkward sitting right beside them while they were arguing. “Clint had a bad experience with Loki back in 2012.”

“May I ask why?” Stella cradled her drink on her lap.

“He was under the influence of Loki’s scepter. Loki made him do whatever he wanted. He even commanded Clint to kill us.” Natasha found Stella in a slight shock. “Don’t you know that?”

“I have heard and seen the news but I didn’t know the nitty-gritty. I knew he had people working under his influence but I didn’t know he turned one from your team.” Stella blinked. _Does Athena know about this_? She thought. She took a deep breath and tried to reconcile this newfound fact and Athena’s reason why she wants her to work with Loki. _Athena said it. She must have a good reason why. This is Athena’s recommendation...no. This is her command_.

Natasha held Stella’s arm, breaking her from her thoughts. “Stella, are you okay?”

Stella took a sip of her drink. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.”

“It must be a surprise for you, knowing about this now we’re in the middle of it.” Stella glanced at the spy. “Just so you know, we’re an odd bunch here. No one’s holier than thou here. Maybe except for Steve.” Natasha smiled fondly.

“Why him?” Stella perched her elbow on the bar.

“What could you expect from someone who was born in 1918?” Natasha chuckled.

Then suddenly a man slithered in and faced Stella. "Hi, miss. It's my first time seeing your face anywhere here. You new?" The man said.

Stella glared at him.

"Sam, that was hella creepy." Natasha deadpanned.

"You guys know each other?" Stella asked them.

"Oh wait." Sam covered his mouth. "You're the detective Steve told me about?"

"Not sure if we know the same Steve but yes, I am a detective, Sir," Stella replied confidently.

Speaking of Steve, he clapped Sam's shoulder. "What did he do this time?" He asked the group.

"He tried flirting with Stella," Natasha informed the newcomer.

"Is this the Steve you know?" She asked Sam, jutting her chin to Steve. Steve finally understood what happened and laughed, patting Sam. Sam nodded. "Good, because I also know him."

"I'm sorry. Really sorry." Sam wiped his palms on his slacks. "I'm Sam Wilson, by the way." He offered her his hand.

Stella shook his hand. "Detective Stella Lords. Nice to meet you."

Sam finally relaxed when she smiled at him and grabbed a drink from the counter. "Girl, you are intense," he said and she just laughed.

"I actually have no idea." 

“So, what were you talking about before Sam became a creep?” Steve asked them.

“Loki,” Natasha answered.

Sam snapped his head back to them as he picked up his drink. “Yeah, Steve told me about that during the briefing. Is it true you’re working with the god of 50 shades of crazy?”

“He has to. There was an agreement.” Stella answered.

“And Fury let him. Said we needed him for his magic.” Natasha added.

Sam downed his drink and picked up another one. “I might need to get drunk tonight to believe what I just heard.”

The elevator doors opened and out came Bruce and Thor. With Thor was a petite woman, arm curled on his biceps. "Wow, Thor has a date."

"That's Jane Foster. His girlfriend, I think." Steve answered.

Thor saw them and beamed. The three of them walked towards the group. "Hello, friends!" Thor bellowed.

They replied. Stella gave him and Bruce a small salute. Thor formally introduced Jane to her, and within a few minutes, they were already engrossed in their world, talking about constellations and planets.

"It did not occur to me that you are interested in astronomy, Lady Lords." Thor interrupted at one point.

"Call me a hobbyist." Thor was confused at the word. "I'm into astronomy for fun. That makes me a hobbyist." He nodded and smiled, patting her at the back. “My mother was an astrophysicist,” she told Jane.

Jane tilted her head and smiled. “Really? What’s her name?”

“Helena Lords.”

Jane’s brows crunched. “I may or may not have heard of Helena before but I know of a Lords.”

“We’ve been transferring from Europe to Asia and back.”

"By the way, have you seen my brother?" Thor interrupted them.

It didn't occur to her to look for Loki when she stepped into the room until Thor brought it up. She craned her neck and looked around until she saw the tall, raven-haired god of mischief in the corner of the room, already hitting on a blonde woman. She took a deep breath and swallowed.

 _Wait. WHAT THE HELL. Why am I disappointed? It's not my business anyway_.

"Stella? Are you alright?" Jane placed a comforting hand on her arm, bringing her back to the room.

She didn’t notice that her lips had formed a scowl. "Oh yeah." She almost choked on her reply but she managed to smile and tapped Thor. "Your brother's busy." She jerked her head to Loki's direction.

Thor turned and he was not sure if he liked what he was seeing. He was confused with his brother too. The last time Loki was worried sick over Stella and now he's wooing another woman. Thor sighed and faced the ladies. "He needs to set his priorities straight."

"Nah, leave him be. He probably needs some distraction." Stella replied coolly.

* * *

The next day, Stella's high-security risk paranoia ended the same time the event ended and there was not a single alarm blaring all over the building. Despite accidentally drinking copious amounts of alcohol the night before with the rest, she dragged herself to their floor's pantry to heat water for her tea. She opened a cabinet for a glass and filled it up with water when a door from the hallway opened and a blonde girl wearing nothing but a man's white dress shirt and black underwear appeared in the pantry, giggling. It was the same girl Loki was talking to the night before.

Stella thought her worries ended as soon as the last guest she saw walked out of the door. _Never was I so wrong_. She immediately located all the sharp objects that she can use if ever this blonde woman starts attacking her. The nearest one being a butter knife. _Great. I can’t cut skin with this_. She flexed her fingers and was relieved that her hands weren’t stiff. She could throw punches if the need arises.

"Hi. How may I help you?" Stella slowly inquired, a brow was setting too high on her forehead.

"Hi, where can I get a glass of water?" The unnamed woman asked, her voice raspy. _She must've been screaming the whole night long. Good job on the soundproofed walls, Stark_ , Stella thought.

Stella retrieved a glass and filled it up with water, her eyes cautiously fixed on the woman. She set the glass on the corner of the counter, away from her.

"Thanks." The woman beamed at her. Stella folded her arms across her chest and tried to find an interesting spot in the room to divert her attention from the girl. Although it wasn't her intention to see the red map forming on the woman's behind. Stella rubbed her face as if it would remove the thought of Loki slapping the woman's butt.

The woman was refilling her glass when a topless Loki appeared on the floor. "Good morning, Stella."

"Wow. Good morning," she replied, unimpressed.

"Hey there, babe." The woman crooned. Stella had to turn her back to them and flipped through the box of tea so they wouldn't see her cringe. _Jesus Christ, when will this water boil?!_ She set a teacup and the packet of jasmine green tea on the counter while the woman lustfully kissed Loki.

Stella cleared her throat and they stopped kissing in front of her. "Yeah, I'm still here."

"You need to leave," Loki told the woman but she was protesting, wrapping her arms around his neck. Stella rolled her eyes so hard she swore she saw the last two brain cells she had in her. "No, you can't stay. You have to leave. Now." Loki practically dragged the woman to the bedroom since she was clinging on him like a sloth. When Loki turned away from Stella she saw red scratch lines along his back. She threw her head back and planted a hand on her eyes. _For the love of God, can I un-think a thought?_ After a few minutes, the elevator door dinged and Loki reappeared in the pantry. "I'm sorry about that."

Stella put down the kettle aside and dunked the tea bag into her cup. "That was a security risk," she practically snarled.

"I had it under control," Loki replied, sounding particularly impressed with himself.

"Are you sure? What if it was someone who posed as Stark's guest and her aim was to get through to us?" She squinted at him.

Loki grabbed a glass of water and drank. "She didn't have the pendant, I checked."

Stella placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, I'm sure you did a _thorough_ check." Her voice lilted, although sarcastically.

Loki placed the glass on the counter and squinted at her. "If that was the case then why am I still alive? Why wasn't my throat slashed?" 

Stella sipped on her tea. “Remind me why you’re doing this again? Why are you on board this Ares case?”

“I want to find out why he’s after my neck,” he sneered.

“Good. I hope you can remember that _anyone_ can be him.”

He crossed his arms on his chest, scowling at her. "You're paranoid, Lords."

She side-eyed him. "Coming from someone who was also worried about the crowd last night."

Loki shifted his legs. He puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. "You're jealous."

She spat her tea. " _Excuse me_?"

"You wish it was you with me last night, didn't you? You know I won’t mind you showing up in my room." He smirked scornfully.

Stella’s jaw fell, then she narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “WHAT THE FUCK?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” She badly wanted to throw the contents of her mug at Loki’s face but she resisted and placed the tea down. If she did that, this will get out of hand and she didn’t have her powers to deflect Loki’s. Also, she didn’t want to destroy Stark’s tower. "Wow, now you're being irrational. I can't believe this. You're ludicrous." She picked up her tea and left the counter. "There's still some hot water in the kettle if you want some tea to pair with your blonde biscuit." She slammed her door shut.

Another door opened and Natasha appeared in the common area, still in her loose shirt and flannel pajama pants. “What happened? I heard screaming and a door slamming,” she asked Loki, arms akimbo.

Loki, still having no shirt on, crossed his arms on his chest, and leaned on the counter. “Nothing much. Would you like some tea?” He offered.

Natasha’s brows furrowed and she went back to the corridor. Loki heard soft knocks on a door. Natasha must’ve checked on Stella. He chuckled and made himself a cup of tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Loki did _that_.
> 
> You can check out my other Loki and Tom Hiddleston fics on my page!
> 
> Don't forget to visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	11. Perfect Illusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella sucked up her pride and asked for Loki’s help. Loki meets another demigod and Athena. And more demigods.

### Chapter 10: Perfect Illusion

Days have passed but Stella's powers still have not resurfaced yet. She has been spending days in her room meditating and trying to do the easiest magic. She ended up buying clothes online or from shops around the tower and taking them to the laundry instead of changing with a flick of her hand. So far she can heat up a glass of coffee that Natasha has neglected.

"Ow! How in the hell…"

"Sorry. I warmed it up since it was sitting there forever. Forgot to warn you." Stella told her. 

"You could've given me a heads up." Natasha blew out of her mouth. "Now it's scalding hot." 

Stella held her mug and it really was beyond boiling temp. "Good thing the mug didn't break," she teased. 

"Is it back?" 

"Not in its entirety," she replied without looking up from the screen. She studied the pendant's blueprint on the screen. "Did you disable the tracker in this?" 

"Took me forever to get into its mainframe but yeah, I did." 

"Did you trace where it transmitted?" 

Natasha continued typing on her end. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"I'm scared they might come bursting in." 

Natasha reached out and held her hand. "Don't worry about it. We're ready for what comes next." 

Stella nodded. "Thanks for doing this. I couldn't figure it out on my own." 

She looked up and smiled. "No need to thank us, it's our job. Good thing Fury had you first than Ares." 

“Nah. Ares wouldn’t even think of trying to get me into his team.” Stella opened her browser and searched for flights to Greece. 

"Going on a vacation in the middle of this?" 

"Uh, no. I can't warp myself to Athens and I need to talk to my sister about Ares and my powers."

"You can use S.H.I.E.L.D's planes." Natasha blew her coffee.

"Not really a wise move to do that right now when the tesseract's missing." Stella replied, eyes fixed on the screen.

"Oh yeah. How about Stark's private jets?" 

"Too bougie. I need to go low key." 

"Speaking of low key, why don't you ask Loki or Thor?" 

Stella peered over her screen. "If I ask Thor, then I have to ask Heimdall to bring me to Athens. If I ask Loki-" 

"If he can help you. If he wants to."

Stella shook her head. "Nah. I don't think he will. He still has a petty grudge on me." 

"Wow it's been 3 days since Stark's party and he still hasn't gotten over you slamming the door at him?" 

Stella straightened up and rested a hand on her hip. "In my defense, he made a security risk that night." 

Natasha chuckled. "Yeah. But nothing happened."

Stella glared at the redhead. “Are you taking his side?” She scoffed.

Natasha was smiling at this point. “No. Not really. But if that woman had tricks in her sleeve I’ll be after her in less than a sec. Or all of us will be after her, including you.” Natasha pressed something on the panel in front of her and the face of the blonde woman appeared on the holoscreen between them. The name was Elizabeth Grey. “If she did threaten everyone that night, we would all know the second it happened.”

The woman’s flushed behind and Loki’s scratches on his back flashed before Stella’s eyes. Whenever she sees him in the tower she would always be reminded of the red sex lines on his back and she wanted to bash her head onto the concrete walls. Now that Natasha pulled up the image of the woman, she wanted to shoot herself for remembering the images. She felt a pinch in her chest but she laughed it out. “Natasha, for the love of sanity, why on earth did you bring this up? I’d like to forget everything I saw but you’re not helping.”

Natasha laughed. “I’m doing this because I need to tell you that you don’t have to worry about her.” She couldn’t stop giggling.

Stella groaned. “Easy for you to do that. You better thank whatever deity you believe in for not witnessing the horror with your own eyes.”

“I’ve seen -”

“Worse, yeah.” Stella finished her sentence for her. “But this could be the most horrible scene you’ll ever see in your lifetime, Loki kissing a woman like a dementor sucking someone’s soul.” She scrunched her nose in repugnance as she picked up her water bottle. “Please, for the love of everything you hold dear, shoot me,” she added before drinking.

“Are you sure you’re not jealous?”

Stella almost choked on her drink. “Hell no!” She retorted. “Over my dead body.”

Natasha lost it. Her laughter echoed in the lab. “I was just wondering because you’ve been reacting like it’s a big deal. Anyway, she’s a secretary for Stark Industries’ Marketing Department. Nothing alarming. She just got lucky an immortal got to her.” Natasha finally said.

Stella bit her lower lip. She stopped herself from letting out a heavy sigh. Her emotions have been confusing lately and she didn’t want to dwell on it. She even has been avoiding coffee so as not to trigger the anxiety. "And that asshole said I was jealous because I pointed out that she was a security risk." Stella ranted.

"You clearly have a point but y'know Loki. He would piss off anyone if he has the chance. Good thing he still hasn't uncovered your deepest, darkest secrets."

Stella paused and stared at Natasha. Natasha looked back at her, worried she might have struck the wrong chord. 

Stella waved a hand between them. Natasha's shoulders dropped. "Nah. I don't have anything to hide. But…now I’m thinking...what if..." Stella pursed her lips and stood up to leave.

Natasha’s heart skipped a beat. "Where are you going?" 

"Don’t worry about it. I’m taking my chances,” she replied over her shoulder.

Natasha sat up straight. “Are you really doing what I think you’ll do? Will you ask for Loki’s help?”

Stella turned on her heels to face her. “I have to. I need to see my sister and face my final judgment.” She continued to walk backward until she arrived in front of the elevator. She pressed a button and entered the car. “Wish me luck!” The elevator doors closed.

A few floors later, she entered their floor and knocked on Loki's door. "Who is it?" she heard him say.

"Loki, it's Stella." 

The door opened, revealing Loki in his dark green leather tunic, dark green and black, intricately designed coat, and black trousers combo. “Ah.” Loki beamed. “You’ve finally thought of knocking at my door to find out what it’s like?” He said suggestively. “The cat’s finally curious?” Stella groaned. He smirked, pleased that he had annoyed Stella once again.

“No! What the fuck.” The cursed scenes appeared in her head again. She shut her eyes tight and her face contorted in disdain. “Can we at least have a normal conversation?” She fumed. 

Annoyed, Loki’s lip twitched. "What do you want?" He grumbled.

She stood straight and hooked her thumbs on her front pocket. "I need your help."

He snickered and folded his hands on his chest. "You must be so desperate to need my help." She rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare roll your eyes on me!" 

"Or what?" She said slyly as she imitated his stance and leaned on his door frame, a smug look on her face.

“I’ll pluck your eyes and play with them like marbles,” he replied nonchalantly.

She chuckled. “You won’t do such a thing.” Loki flicked his hand and his dagger appeared. “Go ahead, be my guest.”

He glared down at her. _She will not back down, will she?_ He badly wanted to work on the tesseract case _on his own_ but he remembered his father specifically commanding him to work with the Greek demigod. He also wanted to give her a hard time but he does not want to be blasted off to space once again.

Then he saw her necklace.

Loki sighed and conceded. He closed his hand and his dagger disappeared. "Fine. What do I need to do?" 

She replaced her smug look with a cheeky smirk. "Can you help me translocate to Athens? Please?" She said as she unconsciously played with her amethyst pendant.

He still has a stern look written on his face. "What's in it for me?" 

"You wanted to go home with the tesseract, right? And you get to meet Athena." 

"I do not wish to meet your sister. Besides, I can work on the case alone." Loki turned back. “I can even defeat Ares alone,” he added.

Stella remained by the door, leaning on the door frame, one hand resting on her hip. "Oh, what a shame. She does want to meet you and she trusts you." 

Loki stopped pacing. "She trusts me?" He raised an eyebrow in surprise. No other respected deity trusts him ever since and hearing this is unbelievable. He turned to Stella after a moment of silence. "Do you trust me?" 

"If Athena trusts you then I do, too," she replied without missing a beat.

Loki snickered sardonically. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

“And you don’t know what Ares is capable of.” Stella replied as she let herself in his room.

Loki turned to face her, his coat fluttering behind him. “How could you say you trust me?” Loki asked, his curiosity was killing him. He had to know.

Stella fixed her eyes on him. She knew there was more to his question. She wanted to ask why not but seeing Athena was an urgent matter. “I told you, if Athena trusts you then I do, too,” she repeated.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t put my trust easily on anyone. Especially when you’re just a mortal,” he warned.

“If I didn’t trust you, then I would’ve already let Odin do whatever he wants to do to you.” Loki flicked his eyes to her. He was surprised to hear that from her.

“You know nothing,” he hissed. But she didn’t flinch. She was still standing there in his room, waiting for him to help her. _She knows something_ , he thought. But now was not the time for it.

Loki took a few steps closer and held out his hand. Stella extended her hand but retracted it when Loki was about to grab it. “Actually, can we stop by my station in Kalambaka before heading to the Parthenon?” She now said in a cutesy way.

Loki groaned. “I can’t wait for your magic to be back.”

Stella snickered and extended her hand again. “Me too.” As soon as Stella held his, green and gold mist covered them and they disappeared in a heartbeat.

Stella almost stumbled when they appeared in the middle of the sidewalk in front of her police station. Loki immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her in, missing getting hit by a motorcycle by inches. Loki released her when he made sure she was steady. “Whoa. I almost died there. Thanks.” She fixed the tuck of her white loose shirt.

“‘Died’ is an overstatement. It was just a motorcycle.” Stella glared at him. Loki looked around and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Why are we here, anyway?” He asked.

“I needed to check the missing people case. Maybe we can find something. A lead.”

“You can get that information from mortals?” He turned to her.

The corner of her lip rose. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

Stella surveyed the street. The station changed since they left it. The posters of missing persons pinned on the bulletin boards were now covered with placards saying “Justice for the missing people of Kalambaka!”, “we demand an explanation!”, “The End Is Near! REPENT!” and so on and so forth. Stella noted that there are more protest posters in front of the station. She caught Loki’s eye and coaxed him to enter the station.

Once the officers noticed who entered, everyone stood up and greeted Stella, either verbally or with a nod. Loki studied Stella. She was standing straight and acknowledged each officer in a stately demeanor. Even without her powers, she looked like she still had them. When the officers' eyes panned on Loki, they would either cower and go back to their work or look at him in awe, not believing their eyes seeing that the god who brought aliens down to New York was in their station, walking in with their respected youngest detective. Loki gave one officer a sinister smirk and he almost spilled his coffee on his shirt.

Stella led them to the back of the station, snaking through the cramped hallway full of boxes and abandoned desks until they passed by her own door and stopped on the next. Loki read the name on the door. Det. Alexis Marinos. Stella opened the door and let themselves in.

The heavily-bearded man sitting on the desk was startled upon the intrusion. “Oh it’s just you,” he exhaled when he saw Stella. “But who is this with you?” He pointed his pen at the tall, lithe man in a three-piece black fit behind her.

“This is Loki. Loki -” she faced Loki and presented a hand to Alexis “-this is Alexis.”

Alexis perked up. He pushed his glasses up and stood. He was a few feet shorter than Loki. “Oh, Loki! The Asgardian!” He approached them and he beamed at him. Alexis was older than Stella but soft-spoken. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Alexis eagerly shook Loki’s hand, his strong grip surprising Loki. “Come, sit, sit!” He gestured to the seats in front of his desk. Stella pulled Loki’s sleeve and they sat. “So, you’re finally working together.”

Loki raised his brows, curious as to why the mortal man said ‘finally.’

“Yeah. We have to. Anyway, any news on the case?” Stella crossed her legs.

Alexis leaned on his chair. “Nothing. Everyone’s still missing. We couldn’t even give the government a normal explanation.” He gave Stella a folder.

“This isn’t a normal disappearance case. Though it would be easier if this was a massacre but it wasn’t. It’s a bloodless crime. Everyone just disappeared.” She commented as she scanned the folder.

“Is it true? That this is Ares?” Alexis asked.

Loki gave the man his full attention. “I beg your pardon? How did you know Ares?”

Alexis’ light-colored eyes wandered from Loki to Stella. “You didn’t tell him about me?”

Stella snickered. “It was meant to be a surprise,” she answered before facing Loki. “Alexis here is a demigod. By Poseidon. Which makes him my cousin.” Loki made a soundless ‘oh.’ “That’s why he knows who we’re after.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t like Stella who was trained by Athena. I was trained by elementals.” He pointed a finger at his water bottle sitting beside him and the bottle filled with water.

“And I lost my magic.” Stella interjected.

Alexis cocked his head, brows furrowed in worry. “How?”

“Ares’ twins have placed the collar on me.”

Alexis covered his mouth with his hand and shook his head. “No way. So you’re here to consult with Athena?”

Stella nodded. “Though I’m afraid.” Her eyes locked on Loki’s. “What if she’ll find another guardian because I’m decommissioned?” She said, more asking Loki about it than Alexis. It was a question Loki has been hearing much from her for the past weeks.

“I don’t think she’ll do that. But if she does, you can always come back here, to your office next door.” Alexis jerked his thumb to his right, where Stella’s office is.

“Alexis, that’s the reason why I have that job.”

Alexis shrugged and leaned forward. “Moving on, is it true that Kalambaka was Ares?” Loki and Stella nodded. His eyes dropped. “How the hell are we going to tell the government that?”

“I have no idea if the National Defense will believe us if we tell them this is an ancient Greek god’s doing. They’ll probably call the bs and fire everyone involved in the case.” Stella picked up the folder and stopped at a page. “I just noticed that you had a word with the monks on top of the cliffs.”

“Yeah. They said they noticed a bright flash of white light below around _matins_.” He scrunched his nose at the word.

“What is _matins_?” Loki asked after how many minutes of silently observing and listening to them.

“Between 2:30 to 3:00 in the morning. It’s a monastic term.” Stella answered.

Alexis nodded. “Okay. 2:30 to 3:00 AM, _matins_. They thought it was the antichrist.” Alexis added. “How are we gonna tell them that the people were zapped by magic?” Alexis glanced at Loki, waiting for his opinion. “Word has been circulating that the antichrist has arrived, thanks to the monks.”

“No wonder posters outside told people to repent.” Stella fell back on the chair and ran a finger on her lower lip. “Did the National Defense know about this bright light?”

“They do. We sent that report to them but they said it must be a result of powerful machinery. A weapon of mass destruction.”

“I mean, this is Ares we’re talking about.” She glanced at Loki. “Ares has an extensive collection of historical weapons.” She turned back to Alexis. “CCTV footage?”

Alexis sighed and gave her the tablet. She played the video and she watched it with Loki. The video was from the hallway of the hotel she checked. The screen showed the empty hallway and after 15 seconds, the walls of some rooms blew up, sending the debris toward the hallway then the video ended. Loki swiped left and it showed another footage, this time outside a shop. The camera was facing the street and seconds later the wall of the second floor of the building it was facing blew up. The projection of the debris was the same with the hotel rooms: it went outward. And, just like the hotel footage, the video cut, not revealing the perpetrator.

Loki and Stella watched the other videos and it showed them the same pattern: walls blowing up and the video ending in the same way. Stella checked the timestamps of the CCTV footage. It all happened at 2:40 AM.

“So this was a simultaneous attack,” she concluded. Alexis nodded, a morose look on his face.

“National Defense thinks it’s nuclear. But our and the science div’s findings showed no nuclear residue.” Alexis said. “If it was nuclear the animals would’ve died.”

Loki’s forehead crunched thoughtfully. “But didn’t we detect magical residue on the town when we were there?” He asked her.

“It could be two things: sorcery, or a weapon made of magic.” Alexis replied. “But I don’t think they’ll accept magic as an explanation.”

“Why?” Loki asked them.

“We’re children of the old gods.” Stella replied. “No one seems to believe our bloodlines still exist.”  


“Has this catastrophe ever happened in Greece before?” Loki inquired.

Alexis removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. “Not in modern times, no.”

Stella snorted after a few seconds of silence. “Antichrist. Turns out it’s just Ares.” She closed the folder and returned it to Alexis’ desk. “Antichrist indeed.”

After they consulted with Alexis, Stella decided that it was time to go to Athens. This time, Loki led the way when they got out of the station, holding Stella’s hand through the crowd. A golden-green mist enveloped them and they stood in the middle of the Acropolis, surrounded by tourists. Stella was still holding his hand. She took a quick glance at him and it looks like he wasn't minding their hands. She looked around and no one seemed to notice the odd couple holding hands in the middle of a hot, Grecian summer.

Loki looked around and there was nothing but ruins. “So, this is it?” He asked, underwhelmed as usual.

She released his hand. “I know it’s not much -”

“It’s nothing.” He shut his lips tight. Stella looked at him, her arms crossed on her chest. “What?”

“Are you really going to wear that? It’s freaking hot.”

Loki looked at his all-black ensemble. “I don’t feel hot.”

She chewed on her inner lip. “Right.” She pulled him by the sleeve and led them to the side of the Propylaea. “Well, going back, it’s something in Midgardian history. Just goes to show that they exist.” Loki let her pull him. He tried to hide his smile, amused on the fact that someone as short as Stella was pulling an Asgardian god behind her. Loki caught up with her and clasped his hand on hers. Stella paused and lifted their hands. “O...kay. If you want to play it that way.” Loki noticed a blush blooming on her face. She dropped their locked hands and continued walking. They turned in a corner and stopped in a smaller temple in the compound. “This is Athena’s.” Stella studied Loki’s unimpressed face. “I know, I know. It’s nothing.”

Loki pursed his lips. "After you." He slowly released her hand. She nodded at him and she walked over the rope. She looked around, expecting the mortal guards to call her out. When no one noticed, she coaxed Loki to follow. 

"Did you put us in your illusion?" She asked as they entered the ruined temple.

A green mist covered Loki, replacing his Midgardian clothing with his Asgardian leather armors, his golden helm appearing last. "I had to avoid their attention." They walked around the great hall. "How are we supposed to talk to your sister? Through a pot?" 

"Athena!" Stella called out and the temple transformed from the ruins to a curtain-covered throne room. "It's not like Asgard's throne room but it's something." 

Loki looked around. She’s right. It wasn't as grand as Asgard's throne room. It was white and gold all over. Just that. Too plain for his liking.

"Stella, sister," a woman spoke. Stella bowed before her and he remained standing some feet away from them. The woman was older than him, wiser. Wearing a rose-colored dress draping over her tall stature. Her dress exposed her gold-cuff covered arms, just like Stella's cuffs. Gold-plated armor attached to her shoulders but her chest was not armored, unlike the women of Asgard's royal court. Unlike Frigga's chest plate. 

_My mother_. His heart ached for her until now. He looked at Stella and Athena. She looked at ease with Athena and the latter gazed at her with a motherly love. 

He has missed these moments with his mother. 

"And you must be Loki." Athena broke into his thoughts. He looked at her and smiled, unsure if he should bow. "You need not bow before me, boy. We are equals in this court." 

_Equals. We are equals. If only Odin could see me as Thor's equal. Shame it took for another deity to see me as their equal_.

"I am Loki, yes. The prince -"

"The prince of Asgard. Odinson." Athena interrupted him. _The rightful king of Jotunheim and I am not Odin's son_ , he thought. "It's good to finally meet a son of Odin." She put her hands on his arms and studied him. Normally he doesn't want people to lay their hands on him but Athena's touch was close to his mother's: gentle but strong, caring, warm. “How did you get here?” She let go of him and asked Stella.

“I asked Loki to bring me here.” Stella elbowed him and he proudly smiled. “I can’t translocate. Ares’ twins placed a collar on me and it drained my energy.” She said, looking at her hands, fear starting to creep in.

Athena noticed Stella’s shift. “Is there something bothering you, sister?”

Stella looked at her sister, a cold sweat dripping on her temple. “Is this the end?”

“The end of what?”

“My guardianship. I lost my powers.”

Athena approached Stella and held her hands. “What made you think of such?” Stella bit her lip. “I won’t revoke your duty.” Athena tucked a loose strand of the demigod’s hair. Loki watched closely, admiring the closeness of the two. “You are the most powerful demigod that exists and now you hold the honor to defend the mortals and Earthrealm along with us, the gods. This is just a minor inconvenience.” The older god kissed Stella’s forehead.

“Does that mean I can get my powers back?”

“Of course.”

Stella covered her mouth in shock and delight. She turned to Loki. “I told you it can be fixed,” he told her.

“Anything can be fixed, Stella. Did you forget?” Athena addressed Stella and gently squeezed Loki’s arm. “They are indeed on the move.” Athena led them to the sitting room. She walked to a table full of liquid and started mixing something. She turned to them, bringing a golden goblet. “Drink this. This will strengthen your energy, but it’ll take time.” Athena gave the goblet to Stella and she drank.

Stella felt the cold syrup rush down through her and she pulled the goblet from her lips. “That was so cold.” She furrowed her forehead and coughed.

Athena gave her a toothless smile. “Finish that.” She commanded and Stella drained the goblet. “You have to be careful, the two of you, include Thor in the equation. They have the means to draw magic from you.” Athena looked at Loki. “I am surprised Ares did not drain you when he attacked in Asgard.”

“He can try.” Loki challenged. Athena smirked in response.

Stella stood up and returned the goblet to the table on the other side of the room. “Why did he end up using sorcery?” She filled the goblet with water and took a gulp. “It’s unusual for the god of war like him to wield magic. He never was the one who believes in it.”

“I have been asking the same question, Stella. I asked Hera about it and she told me she doesn't know why.”

“Of course she won’t talk because she has to protect her son.” Stella added.

“Maybe Hera has bestowed sorcery upon her son?” Loki suggested.

Athena considered his statement. “She could. But she never favored Ares even though he is the son of Hera and Zeus.” Loki’s jaw clenched. That was a familiar feeling. “But whatever power Hera gives is all too powerful.”

“And deadly.” Stella said over her shoulder as she walked to the adjacent room. “But we’ll never know what’s in her sleeve. She could absolutely do that.”

Loki tapped his chin, deep in thought. _If this is the case then it’s safe to warrant the Avengers’ help_ , he concluded. Athena interrupted his thoughts when she spoke. "Odin told me you were going to bring the tesseract home." 

"I am working with my brother, Thor." 

"And Stella. Hmmm." She looked at Stella, who was starting to meditate in the next room. "I was told you saved her from the twins." Athena held Loki's hand in hers. "Thank you, Loki. She is the last warrior I have." 

Unlike his reaction when the mortal man held his arm back in the police station in Kalambaka, this time he just looked at his hand in Athena’s. "May I ask what happened to the others?" He asked.

"I do not have a thousand warrior demigods. Most of them died in the battle of Stheno, fighting her army. After I trained and taught her, I did not bring new children under my wing because there are no more of them." Athena explained.

 _That is odd_. Loki thought as he walked around.

"It's not much, unlike your Asgard."

Loki studied the room where Stella is. "Asgard looks much better than this." 

"I know. I’ve been there. Frigga was a dear friend of mine." Loki halted in his tracks, his mouth shut tight. Athena walked to where he stopped and held him by his arms. “I am so sorry for your loss.” He controlled his expression but deep inside he wanted to scream. He felt his energy bubbling in anger inside him. Not because Athena brought it up, but because Malekith killed his mother.

Athena seemed to feel his anguish. Loki then felt something warm radiating from her hands and spreading through him that calmed the raging storm within. She smiled softly at him when Loki gave up the stern expression masking him. “Your mother loved you dearly, Loki. She has told me multiple times.”

 _Then why would she hide the truth from me?_ He thought as he broke himself from Athena’s hands. She let go of him. She watched him enter the room where Stella is.

Stella stumbled from her bench. "Stella!" Loki caught her, good thing he was near her. 

She choked on her breath and held onto his arms. Athena rushed to her side. Stella extended her arm behind Loki and she felt a surge of energy coarse through her but only a puff of blue expelled from her hand. She limped against Loki's arms. 

Loki helped her sit back on the bench. "I can feel it but it won't appear," she said. 

"Give it a few more days. At least you have meditated closer to Olympus." Athena replied.

Loki's eyebrows furrowed. He could never understand how things go in Athens nor in Olympus. 

"Thank you, sister. I think we need to leave." Stella stood up.

"Before you go, take this." Athena gave her a shortsword, about 3 feet long. "I know you can't make your armor and swords appear for now."

Stella's lips curved up. "Back to the basics, eh?" 

It was nighttime when they got out. Stella attached her sword on her waist as they went down the stairs. 

"Have you tried gyros?" Stella asked. 

"What are gyros?" 

"It's like shawarma, but Greek. With a little yogurt. We should get one for dinner." Stella studied Loki’s helm. “Isn’t that heavy?” Loki glanced at her inquisitively. “Your...horns? Do I call those horns?” Loki sighed and ignored her questions. “Okay, silence means yes.”

“How did silence become a ‘yes’?” Loki asked, quite irritated.

She chuckled. “I don’t even know.”

“Why would you say that? That was not an answer for anything.”

“I know, I know. It’s problematic. It’s layers of problems. I was just kidding.”

“Not a good jest.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Stella dropped her head.

They continued walking in silence. Loki's thoughts were still lingering on his conversation with Athena. He was still a little bothered when Athena acknowledged him as an Odinson. But she doesn’t know anything. No one else ever knew except Frigga, Thor, and Odin himself. It was a secret he can’t give away that easily, given the nature of it. But he really was not one to give them away. "Is she the only one who trains demigod children for war?" He inquired after a few minutes of pondering.

"Yes and we're not trained for war. Ares does that. We are prepared for war. Why did you ask?" 

"Your sister told me something peculiar about the demigod warriors," Loki began. 

"Yeah? What is it?" 

"She explained that she doesn't train demigods after you because there are no more demigod children. Have you thought of the possibility that the gods, or Ares, have been the ones training their children?"

Stella stopped. He did too after going down a few steps after her. He turned back to her. "It's also possible the gods are working for Ares's selfish reasons." She paused. Loki studied her. "Tony's right and yes, you're right. Ares might not have a thousand demigod children but he can convince other children or gods to work for him. It’s not even impossible for Hades to send dead demigods and warriors to help him."

"You're welcome." He gave her a smug look and went on his way. Stella followed. “And how old were you when the battle against Stheno happened?”

Stella got distracted by a tree by the pathway. “I was 18.” Loki nodded and continued walking, not noticing that he had left her behind. "Hey! Don't leave me!" 

"Scared, Lords?" 

But Loki stopped on his tracks. _Something doesn't feel right_. He waited for Stella to catch up with him. "Stay close." He told her. 

"Can you feel something wrong?" Stella moved her hand to the hilt of her sword. 

"Give me your sword." She started to retort but he gave her a tense nod. “Do you trust me?” 

She looked straight at him. “Yes.”

“Then give me your sword.” She reluctantly surrendered her sword to him. 

They continue walking. When they turned to a corner, a man was blocking the way. 

"Give us the girl and we will let you live." The man told them. 

"Just live? I don't need to 'just live'." Loki growled. 

"Loki? What is happening?" Stella uttered. "Give me back my sword." 

Loki leered at her. "No." He pushed her to the man. 

"Loki! No!" Stella screamed and the man opened his arms. He closed his grasp on Stella but caught nothing. The man looked at Loki, smirking at him, and the former yelped. The man tumbled to the ground, revealing Stella with her sword raised to the air. The man caught her illusion and the real Stella slashed him from behind. "That was cool." She beamed at him. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Didn’t Athena teach you how?”

“It’s not our forte.”

More men appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them. Stella stepped back and her back met Loki’s. She twirled her sword, anticipating an attack. “Perhaps you will leave this to me,” Loki said over his shoulders.

“No, I’m armed.” Then a green force shield appeared around her. One of their attackers sent a dagger flying in her direction and dismantled Loki’s force shield. “It’s on.” She picked up the Aresian dagger.

Their attackers close in on them. Stella swings her sword and slashes two in one go. Loki sent his daggers flying. Sometimes Stella throws a kick when she can’t lift her sword. Loki, on the other hand, let his clones do the work, tricking the men to stab each other.

20 minutes had passed when it was over. Loki searched one of the bodies and he saw the same necklace Stella grabbed from one of the twins in New York. He picked one up.

“Don’t. Leave that.” Stella tells him with bated breath.

He approached her. “You don’t sound good.” He then took a good look at her. Her stomach area was bleeding. “Stella, you were stabbed.”

“I’m what?” She asked. She felt faint. As adrenaline left her, she felt the stinging all over her body. She held her hand to her side. “Why am I wet?” She looked at her hand, starting to feel disoriented.

Loki summoned a flame to illuminate them. It was blood. He approached her as he extinguished the flame and pressed his palm on her wound. 

Stella noticed Loki’s leathers were glinting. "Is that...blood? Please tell me it isn’t blood." She swiped her finger on his wet shoulder and studied the liquid. “Smells like human blood.”

Loki gave her an ‘ _are you serious?_ ’ look when she said her observation. He held her up by her waist as he led them away from the scene. “It's not my blood. Stella, how are you feeling?”

“Light. Everything’s light,” she croaked. She ran her hand on his leather-clad chest, soaking her hand with the blood of their enemies. “You’re...bleeding.” She held her hand before her, sludge dripping down to her forearm.

“I told you, you don’t have to worry about it, it’s not my blood.” He felt like his chest was being ripped. “Stay with me, Stella. Darling.”

“Darling?” She chuckled. “Only my mother called me darling.”

Again, that ripping sensation diffused inside him. He lifted Stella’s unbloodied hand to her wound. “Here, press your wound so you’ll slow down the bleeding.” Loki then lifted Stella bridal-style again.

Her eyes started to flutter and she gasped when he lifted her. Stella peeked through her heavy lids and saw the bright stars and Loki’s pale, anxious face. In her injured, unsettled state, she placed her bloodied hand on his cheek. He froze upon her touch and laid eyes on her. Her smile was affectionate, pure.

“The stars are pretty tonight.” She whispered.

Loki gave her a sad smile. “These stars are nothing compared to the ones in Asgard."

Stella’s hand dropped and she closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working this on double monitors is so satisfying. (^～^)
> 
> Anyway. So, yeah, I did that. If you guys are wondering why I made Loki teleport without the aid of the Tesseract, comic Loki could do that. And in this AU, I already sent Frigga to Valhalla. But what does Stella know? Why does Athena trust him? Actually, why do the Greek demigods trust him? Alexis seems to trust him...
> 
> 6,079 words for this chapter. I guess this is the longest chapter I've written so far. Thoughts and kudos are welcome! Feel free to drop by my page for more stories and my Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! ヾ(＾∇＾)
> 
> *gif not mine


	12. "If I didn't trust you..."

####  _"If I didn't trust you, then I would've already let Odin do whatever he wants to do to you."_

_Athena walked into the Cella of her temple, the tail of her light blue dress trailing behind her. When she emerged from the shadows of the Opisthodomos, the two beings waiting for her in the Cella faced her direction._

_“Iris.” The woman wearing a flowy, white dress bowed before Athena. Athena nodded once and faced the other being, this time a heavily-bearded male, wearing the Viking warrior’s armors. “Hermóðr.” Athena acknowledged the man’s attendance in her court and the man bowed before her. “Is there an urgent matter to be discussed since both of you are in my temple?”_

_Hermóðr gestured for Iris to begin. “My goddess, we are here because a part of Earthrealm is being attacked,” Iris reported._

_Athena clasped her hands together by her stomach. “Who did this?”_

_“Your grace, our Queen Frigga would like to tell you that the attack is being orchestrated by her youngest son.” Hermóðr added._

_Athena’s face contorted in horror, then she gasped, smiling. “Loki is alive.”_

_Hermóðr and Iris looked at each other, unsure of what to say. “Apparently,” he said._

_“And he is in New York?” He nodded. Athena raised her hands, palms together, and tapped it to her lips. She turned her back to the messengers and walked to a gold vessel on the northwest corner of the temple. The messengers followed her. Athena dipped two fingers on the vessel and lifted it, a sliver of the blue liquid rising with it and a bubble appeared, the events in New York played before them._

_They watched as the vision showed them the open portal from the sky, Loki commanding the alien creatures down to Earth, and the people fighting the aliens and defending the city._

_“These people,” Athena said as the vision showed them a green giant, a redhead woman aiming her guns next to an archer, a red robot, a man who’s flinging a shield, and Thor. “These people with Thor. Who are they?”_

_“They are a group of mortals called the Avengers, my goddess,” Iris answered._

_“Thor rallied with them when they found out Loki is commanding a group of alien creatures.” Hermóðr said._

_Athena faced him, her brows frowning in worry. “Do you know where in the realms these aliens are from?”_

_“No, your grace. We are unfamiliar with them. The scholars are now researching our resources for any literature mentioning these kinds of creatures,” he replied. “Asgard also demands your presence, your grace.”_

_Athena turned back to the bubble, which is now showing Loki, paler than before, and eyes sullen. “Your prince does not look well.” Iris glanced at Hermóðr, whose face was full of contempt upon seeing the young prince. Athena returned her attention to the messengers. She noticed Hermóðr’s shift but she let him be. “Iris.” The Greek messenger stood in attention. “Summon the guardian.”_

* * *

_Stella was lying on her couch, having a quiet night to herself, reading a book when she heard a knock on her apartment’s door. She dropped the book, wondering who would come to her apartment at 9 in the evening without sending a text. She also thought that no one would even make a surprise to see her that hour. Stella got up and trudged to the door. She peeked through the peephole and immediately opened the door. “Come in.”_

_It was Iris. “Guardian, Athena sent me.”_

_Stella nodded, blinking the exhaustion from her eyes. “What’s up?”_

_Iris was still wearing her white, flowy dress. Stella figured out that the messenger concealed herself. “Athena has an urgent matter to discuss with you.”_

_Stella nodded slowly. “Okay.”_

_Stella let Iris in, closed the door, and translocated them to Athena’s acropolis, arriving at the Pronaos of the temple. As they entered, a shimmer of blue light appeared around her, replacing her grizzly bear hoodie and grey pajamas to her white bodysuit that covered most parts of her skin, her weathered golden breastplates, vambraces, with shin guards attached, and white boots. Her trusted pair of swords attached to her back. When they entered, Stella bowed before Athena and saw Hermóðr. She wondered why Asgard’s messenger was in Athena’s temple._

_“My sister.” Athena warmly said and extended her arms. Stella closed in and they embraced each other._

_Stella acknowledged the Asgardian messenger’s presence. “Something is going on, isn’t it?” She immediately said._

_Athena chuckled. “Always quick to perceive trouble, aren't you.” She led Stella to the bubble and showed her what was happening. Stella’s jaw dropped while watching. “Have you heard of this?”_

_“No. I was reading a book for the nightcap and my television was off. Where is this?”_

_“It’s in New York.”_

_“What are those blue creatures?”_

_“They are an unknown alien species brought to Midgard by Loki.” Hermóðr replied._

_Stella turned to him. “Did you say Loki? He’s alive?” Hermóðr nodded. “Wow. He survived his fall. That’s amazing.”_

_“Sister, I believe we do not have time.” Athena placed a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Our presence in Asgard is needed.” Stella’s eyes veered from Athena to Hermóðr then back to her older sister. “Iris, thank you for bringing Hermóðr here,” Athena told Iris and she bowed once more before leaving in a mist of spectrum. Athena clenched her right hand and when she opened it, a winged creature covered in golden light appeared. She tossed it to the air and when it landed, a winged woman dressed in gold dress appeared before them. “Nike, I will let you take over this temple for the time being. We are needed in Asgard.”_

_Nike pressed a fisted right hand to her heart. “It shall be my duty,” she told Athena._

_“Thank you, Nike.” Athena bowed her head and Nike did the same. She then led Stella and Hermóðr to the Opisthodomos and they stood within a circle. Athena splayed her hands to her side and closed her eyes. A golden light appeared around them._

_On the edge of Asgard, where the Rainbow Bridge ends, Heimdall clutched the hilt of his sword, Hofund. Looking straight into the horizon, he could see the arrival of Hermóðr and the two Greek beings. In mere seconds, three beings appeared on Asgard’s shore, before Heimdall. With his golden, watchful eyes, he recognized Athena and the Greek guardian with Hermóðr._

_“Heimdall.” Athena greeted the Asgardian gatekeeper._

_“Athena,” he replied. “You and the guardian are expected.”_

_“As Hermóðr has told me.” She politely smiled._

_Heimdall led them to the council hall, where Odin and Frigga were waiting for them. “Odin, Frigga,” Athena announced when they arrived. Heimdall closed the door behind them, bringing Hermóðr with him._

_“I see that you brought the guardian with you. Very well.” Odin said. Stella bowed before them. “Hermóðr told you?”_

_“Yes, and I am glad he is alive. Though he does not look well.” Athena shared a warm smile with Frigga._

_Stella walked to the end of the table where the nine realms are etched. On Midgard, she noticed the sparks happening on the east coast of the United States._

_Odin snorted on Athena’s statement. “How can he not look well and command an alien army? He is the strongest sorcerer and he never was weak. Although he couldn’t keep up with the warriors in close combat.”_

_Stella can’t help but flick her eyes to the side, to Odin. She heard contempt in his statements._

_Athena approached the war table. “Do you now happen to know what the aliens are and where they are from?” They watched the battle unfold before them on a holoscreen._

_“Our scholars are still studying them,” Frigga replied. “I have not seen such creatures.”_

_“They must be beings that are beyond the realms.” Stella surmised._

_“Most probably. I believe there are other beings beyond the nine realms we have.” Frigga added._

_“Loki has diverted his path since Thor’s coronation. He could never be king.” Odin spat. Stella saw the king’s face starting to turn red in fury. “He brings nothing but shame to this kingdom. An ax to his neck will be waiting for him.”_

_Frigga’s lips tightened into a line and her eyes started to water. Athena’s head snapped to Odin. “I do not mean to question your ways and methods but you banish one from your kingdom but kill the other one?” Athena said._

_Stella looked up to watch them, her guard up. Odin glared at Athena while Frigga dropped her head. Athena has her serene look on her face._

_“Loki was never the type to be king,” he declared._

_“And that’s it? That’s your reason for such action?”_

_Odin lost it. “How dare you question my action!” He barked. “He never was my son.” Stella cocked a brow in surprise._

_But Athena was not fazed. “If I was in your position, I wouldn’t do such a thing,” she said in a serious tone._

_“I am not you,” he retorted. Frigga was holding back tears behind Odin._

_Stella shifted her attention to the holoscreen above the table. She watched as Thor was trying to subdue Loki. “Athena’s right. He doesn’t look well.” The brothers were on top of the Stark tower in New York, an astonished and remorseful Loki appeared on the screen._

_“This is his second time to eliminate a race,” Odin stated as his only eye locked into the face of his youngest son. “If that doesn’t warrant an execution, I don’t know what does.”_

_‘Didn’t you try to eliminate enemy planets before?’ Athena thought but she shut her mouth for the good of Olympus. She exchanged glances with Stella, who also knew what Odin had done._

_As Stella continued to watch, she noticed that Loki’s eyes would switch shades and he did look remorseful before something in him seemed to click again and attacked Thor. “Look at his eyes,” she told Athena. “There’s more to this,” she vouched. “You just can’t end him like that. You only have two powerful sorcerers left in your jurisdiction and you have the nine realms to take care of.”_

_“The three of us can take care of the nine realms ourselves.” Odin shook his head. “The moment he steps back in Asgard, he will be bound in chains,” the king declared._

_“Then why have two sons?” Athena blurted out. Odin just glared at her. Athena looked at Frigga, who was unsure whether to be offended or mourn for the fate of her son._

_“You’ll never know what we have to face after this,” Stella stated._

_“Is there any other threat we have to expect?” It wasn’t a question, it was more of a whine from the Allfather._

_Athena let Stella take the conversation. She knew Stella would say the right words. “Your son might be in danger.” Stella hinted._

_“He’s not my son!” Odin growled._

_Stella slowly closed her eyes and sighed - an expression that shouldn’t be done in front of royals. “Fine then. Your sons. Earthrealm. You don’t know these creatures. Neither do we. But I bet you Loki already invaded a planet and used its army to attack Earth. Expect insurgencies to follow,” she postulated._

_Odin’s fists were tight on the table. “From who?” Frigga beseeched._

_“Stop telling us things if you don’t even have proof.” Odin interrupted._

_Stella rested a hand on her belt. “Just don’t kill him. For the good of the realms.” She implored._

_“What do you know of the good of the realms?! You’re nothing but a mere mortal child!” Odin spat at Stella, who didn’t even flinch._

_“This is friendly advice from an external consultant but I suggest you heed it,” Stella said firmly. After a history of facing pissed off Greek gods, egoistical eastern gods, and an army of various origins led by a mad gorgon, having a bilious Allfather snapping at her was the least of her worries._

_Once Odin left, Frigga let out a breath she didn’t notice she was holding. “I was afraid he would say that.” Her voice was quivering for a queen._

_Athena’s eyes were still at the door. “Loki must have a reason behind doing all this. He is too smart to destroy everything for no reason.” She turned back to Frigga and Stella._

_“All he wanted was to make his father proud.” Frigga sadly admitted. “All he wanted was a kingdom to reign on.”_

_Athena and Stella looked at each other, both thinking there is something more than what meets the eye. Stella replayed the footage. Loki looked like he didn’t want to attack New York._

_Frigga stopped next to Athena. “I would like to believe what you say is true,” she implored._

_“Earthrealm’s waters would freeze if I was lying,” Athena stated._


	13. The Middle of The Tip of The Iceberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki found himself in an unusual situation and he couldn’t trust himself with what he feels. Thor was not the only one who noticed the shift in Loki’s demeanor. Then, Stella confronted Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs of the chapter: Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu by The Maine and Dangerous by Keiko Necesario
> 
> _warning: mentions of blood, wounds, needles._

### Chapter 11: The Middle of The Tip of The Iceberg

Loki paced the bedroom, picking the palm of his hand. They were in one of the small hotels in Athens. Stella slumbered away on the bed, her torn, bloody shirt and bra in the trash, along with bandages stained with her blood. He had difficulty healing her. After she got stabbed, her blood was flowing from the wound so he grabbed the healing stones from his coat and used it on her. Gold mist appeared on her wound but it didn’t completely close. The bleeding stopped but the edges of her wound had become swollen.

He then decided to use Midgardian medicines on her, in the hopes of letting the swelling subside. He managed to enchant the pharmacist into giving him anti-inflammatory and anti-tetanus shots, which he injected into her himself, on the directions of the said pharmacist. 

He also cast an enchantment on the night manager and the whole hotel they’re currently staying at. The hotel was not a big one and there were a few people in it, unusual for a hotel in a tourist-heavy area, thus it was easy for him to enchant the place. When he placed her on the bed of the hotel, her wound opened up and bled again, a sign that the healing stones were not working on her. A fever was already beginning and he thought of translocating them back to the Avengers tower but it would have been too risky. She might perish in those 3 precious seconds.

He looked at her, pale and cold sweat trickling on her forehead. Normally, he wouldn’t be worried over someone dying but he feels like he’s the one going to die because of it.

It was 8:30 in the morning. Every 30 minutes he checks her breathing. She’s breathing alright but her temperature is still rising. “Alright, what’s wrong?” He asked no one in particular, trying to shake off the anxiety.

He thought of going to the hospital but he doesn’t have Midgardian currency for it and tricking everyone in the hospital will require too much effort. He scans the Midgardian medicines he got for her.

10 AM. She stirred. Loki observed her from where he was sitting, on the window sill, overlooking the bustling street below. She tilted her head into the pillows. Loki pulled a chair to the bedside. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and unconsciously pinched his palms once again. Stella slowly opened her eyes. She searched the room and found Loki’s anxious face.

He gulped. “Stella?”

Her eyes scanned his face then opened wide with horror. “Where’s my sword, Loki? Give me my sword,” she said hurriedly and sat down, her flight and fight responses toppling over each other inside her. “Where are they?”

He placed his hand on her stomach. “Stella, calm down.” She was still struggling, pushing his hand away from her. “Stella. Stella. Darling…” She gazed at him. “It’s alright. Calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

Her dark brown eyes searched for familiarity in Loki’s greens. “Loki.” She loosened her grip on his arm, relieved. “Loki.” She placed a hand on his cheek. Loki was not wearing his Asgardian leather attire from yesterday. Instead, he replaced it with black shirt and jeans.

He nodded and slipped behind her. He let her lean on his torso. “I’m here,” he mumbled in her ear and loosely wrapped his arm on her stomach. Loki took a whiff of her hair. He savored the moment of her against him. The soft cloth of his garment and her bandages were the only things between them. _I don’t know until when this will last_. 

She was still looking around, her eyes wide, anticipating an attack. Her whole body hot to the touch and tense. “Stella calm down, you’re injured,” he crooned. Stella’s breath slowed down when she realized nothing was going to happen to them. Loki closed his eyes. “Trust me.”

Stella closed her eyes and calmed down. “Are they dead? Did you kill them?” She whispered. Her head fell back on his shoulder, eyes fixed on the bare, white ceiling.

“No. We killed them,” he whispered back and nuzzled her dark curls. “How are you feeling?”

“Sleepy,” she muttered. “Heavy.” She caressed Loki’s left arm that was wrapped around her and she snuggled on it. “Cold.” He opened his eyes and found her clutching onto his arm for dear life. He never realized she was this small against him. She’s tall, taller than the Black Widow but right now she’s frail. Delicate. That made him want to protect her more. 

“This feels nice,” she commented innocently. Loki let out an “mmm”, his chest vibrating against her. Loki’s voice was soft and she couldn’t resist feeling warm inside. She wanted him to talk her into calming down. She wanted him to tell her a story with that low, soft voice he was using. She knew there was no magic involved but this voice Loki has right now felt like magic.

Loki can’t help but smile. He unconsciously stroked the bandaged side of Stella with his thumb as she took a moment of silence in his protective arms. Then she moved down a little, dragging him down the bed. With his arms still around her, he let her do it. She turned to face him. He looked at her but her eyes were closed. She wrapped an arm over him and pressed her cheek on his chest. _It must be the medicines_ , he thought, not getting his hopes up.

But here he is, wrapping his arms around Stella.

“Can I go back to sleep?” He heard her say.

“Sure. I’ll be here.” Loki purred and she snuggled closer as if there was still space for her to move in. Loki chuckled and pulled her closer to him. The sun was starting to peak outside, threatening to overpower the airconditioning of their room. Loki waved his hands to thicken some of the curtains to contain the low temperature inside. He also pulled the blanket on her when he felt her shiver.

Loki was not the one to grow fond. As much as possible he didn’t want to involve himself with anything that required emotional attachment. But as he wrapped his arms around this woman sleeping with him on this bed in the middle of Athens, he can’t help but think of the pace his heart was beating. She might be hearing how his body was reacting to this position. He hoped that she wouldn’t mind, that her head would be too fuzzy and too drugged to mind his violently beating heart. He never imagined he would intimately wrap someone again with his arms after Amora.

His eyes flicked to the ceiling as if he saw her there. _Amora_. She was long gone. She was once his lover but Odin has cast her out of the realms to die. He felt his heart drop and he found himself clutching Stella closer as if she was Amora. Loki closed his eyes and drank in Stella’s scent: coconut, ylang-ylang, and a hint of blood from last night’s fight. This was not Amora. This was Stella.

The more he took in Stella’s scent, the more his mind clutched on her name and image, the more her strong scent stimulated him in a way he couldn’t imagine. He opened his eyes and directed his attention somewhere else. He saw Stella’s sword sitting on the other nightstand and he pictured it. Pictured Stella wielding the sword, slashing shadow warriors last night. 

He rolled his eyes as the throbbing pleasure within continued. Thinking of Stella fighting didn’t help to subside the feeling. He looked at his trousers and, yep, he’s hard. He moved his body to face the ceiling so his godly boner won’t disturb Stella’s peace but left his left arm under her. _It’s not yet time_ , he thought, _this isn’t the right time, the right moment. Hel, there’s no right time. Everything’s wrong. This feeling is wrong_.

Loki was idling in his thoughts when he felt the weight being lifted off from his arm. He checked on Stella and she was pushing herself off the bed all of the sudden. “I can barely breathe. It’s hot.” She straightened up, threw the blanket aside, and looked at her bloodstained, bandage-covered torso. She gasped. “What happened?”

Loki pushed himself up to sit, ruffling the blanket to cover his bulge. “You managed to get yourself stabbed.”

Stella dropped her head when she realized something. She was not wearing her shirt. “And you saw me topless.” She peered at him over her bare shoulders.

“You were bleeding. I had to patch you up or else you would die.” He moved closer to her and let his fingers lightly dance on her arm. Stella jerked upon his touch. Loki pulled back his hand, wondering what was wrong. “Is there something wrong, darling?” He voiced out.

Stella’s hand began to shake but she clutched it, trying to hide it from him. “No. Nothing’s wrong.” There’s tension in her voice. She raked her hair with her fingers twice, clearly agitated.

“Is there something that made you upset?” 

Stella was surprised at Loki’s voice. It was the most caring voice she has heard from him since they started working together. It eased the tension inside her a bit. _This is ridiculous_ , she thought. _Of course, he needed to get that shirt off me, I was stabbed, for crying out loud, Stella!_

Loki waited patiently for Stella to reply. Her back was still facing him. Deep inside, he badly wanted to know what troubled her.

“I’m...I’m fine.” She peered over her shoulder and gave him a weak smile. He heard her voice crack but he didn’t let himself push the topic. It was not the time. He trusted her reply.

Stella pushed herself out of the bed and studied herself in the mirror. “Wow. How injured am I last night?” She ran a finger on the pink line on the bandage and pressed it, feeling a numb pain from the wound.

“Don’t!” Loki interjected and Stella jerked, facing him wild-eyed. “Don’t poke your wound. It might open.” She dropped her arms to her side and looked back at the mirror. “You were bleeding profusely last night. You might want to sit down. Your complexion is scaring me.” He patted the empty side of the bed.

She opened the closet. “Where’s my shirt?”

“It was covered in blood.” He summoned a dark green shirt and dangled it from his hand. “You can have this.” She said thanks and put it on. “Green looks good on you.” He smirked. If they were in Asgard everyone would think Stella was loyal to the young prince.

“Hmmm, laying down your colors now, aren’t you?” She bantered and sat at the foot of the bed. 

There’s a mischievous smile on his face. “So you know how that works?”

“Of course. I’m not a naive mortal.”

“You’re delirious.”

“You wish I was, but I’m not.” Loki smiled, relieved the snarky Stella is back. She eyed the drops of blood on the floor. She stood up once again and followed the trail, ending at the wastebasket filled with bloodied bandages and cotton. “You might wanna dispose of this yourself. We’ll scare the housekeeping with all the blood that’s in there,” she said as she moved to watch the street on the window.

“I’d rather not. Scaring them is a good idea. There are vials and syringes at the bottom of the basket. I’ll let their imagination go wild.” Loki snickered.

“God of mischief, eh? They’ll be screaming bloody murder.” Stella looked around.

Loki noticed a stain seeping through the shirt on her injured side. He stood up and walked to her. “Stella, do you feel any pain?”

She looked at him, a little confused. “Uh, no. I just feel weird.” Loki flattened his palm on the stain. She looked down at his hand against her torso. “What are you doing?”

Loki removed his hand from her. “Can I check your wound?” She pulled up the bandage, revealing a sticky, opened wound. “Oh no.”

Stella turned to the mirror and saw her wound for the first time: the lesion was swelling, and a clear liquid dripped with the blood. “That definitely does not look good.”

Loki gulped. “I did everything. I used the healing stones, gave you medicine. Can I heal you?” She nodded, permitting him. A green mist appeared on his hand. He cast a healing spell on the wound but Stella started to scream in pain.

“Stop! Loki! OW! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!” She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed his hand and gripped tightly, trying to push him away but the pain immobilizes her. Loki gasped in horror and stopped the spell. Her necklace glowed green and Loki felt his magic stinging his hand. He caught her as she collapsed.

That does not happen whenever he casts a healing spell. What went wrong? “That was a healing spell.” He places his hands on her hips to keep her steady. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know that would happen.”

But at least he discovered something: the protection charm he placed on the necklace works even on him.

She sobbed and muttered curses under her breath, the pain coursing through her veins. She felt like her nerves were getting fried. She held onto his arms to keep herself up, her nails digging on his pale skin. “The...the room’s spinning. Everything hurts,” she declared then she fainted.

Loki caught her just before she fell. “We need to go back to the tower.” He wrapped his arms around her, summoned Stella’s stuff from the nightstand, and they disappeared from the room. 3 seconds later they were on Stella’s bed in the Avengers tower. He carried her and ran through the hall.

“Loki? What happened?” Natasha saw them pass by the common room where she was working on a laptop. 

“She was stabbed last night. She’s still bleeding.” 

Natasha ran her eyes down Stella’s torso. There was a dark stain growing on her right side. “Jarvis, tell Banner to meet us in the medical bay,” Natasha called out and they entered the elevator. “So what happened?"

"On the way down we were attacked by Ares' army. She got stabbed." Loki reported. “I used the healing stones on her but it didn’t close the wound.”

"Maybe the daggers or swords they’re using are enchanted, that's why it’s canceling your magic?”

Loki heaved. “I hope that is not the case.”

"And Athena?" 

Loki hoisted Stella. She was going in and out of consciousness. Natasha picked up Stella’s other arm and threw it over her shoulder. "Nowhere to be found. I can't call her. I am not a Greek god."

They arrived in the medical bay. "Who is it? Stella?" Bruce asked and Loki carried her to the operating table. Natasha asked him to stay out and he stayed by the door, looking out for Stella through the room's glass window. His forehead creased in worry.

He pressed the intercom button near the door. "Agent Romanoff." She looked up. "I'll go stay upstairs. I need to inform Thor." She nodded and he left. Loki appeared outside the door again and pressed the intercom. “By the way, if it’s helpful, I have injected anti-tetanus medicine on her last night.”

Bruce looked at him through the door’s window and smiled. “Thanks, Loki. We’ll take care of it from here.” Loki left for the second time around. “JARVIS, I need to know how much was the anti-tetanus dosage in Stella’s blood.”

“3,000 units, Doctor Banner,” the AI replied.

“Thanks, Jarvis.” Bruce pulled the gloves. “So, what are we going to do?”

Natasha’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? She got stabbed,” she pointed out.

“I know,” Bruce stressed as he clipped the pulse oximeter on Stella’s finger. “I meant her shirt.” Natasha rolled her eyes and grabbed two pairs of scissors from behind her, giving the other one to him. “We’re cutting it up?”

Natasha started cutting from Stella’s sleeve. “I’m buying her another one.”

They proceeded to assess Stella’s wounds in silence until Bruce spoke. “He looks... _weird_ ," he remarked.

"Who? Loki?” He nodded. “When is Loki not weird?" Natasha replied.

Bruce started cleaning and stitching Stella's gash. "No. I mean, he doesn’t sound like the usual Loki." 

"What even is the usual Loki?"

“You know. That someone who doesn't care about anything? Sounds like he cares even for a wee bit.” Bruce started placing bandages on Stella’s wounds. “He was worried when he walked in here with Stella.”

“Yeah, I noticed that when they suddenly appeared on our floor. He was panicking.”

“If he wouldn’t care, he wouldn’t give Stella anti-tetanus shots. But I don’t know what’s going on in his head. Anyway, why were they in Athens? Mission? And what did he do to infect this wound so bad?”

“Stella wanted to talk to Athena but she couldn’t use her energy to teleport so she asked help from Loki.” She passed a cotton pad to him as she explained. “Loki said they were attacked on their way down from the hill.”

“Why didn’t he immediately bring Stella here after the incident?”

“I have no idea. There must be something that won’t allow them to teleport.” They heard a tap on the door window. Natasha looked up and it was a worried Tony. Tony mouthed “how is she?” Natasha checked her vital stats and gave Tony a thumbs up. He signaled that he’ll be waiting in his lab. Natasha nodded.

“Keep an eye on Loki. There’s something more to this.” Bruce told Natasha as he gazed on Stella’s face.

* * *

Loki entered his room and marched to the ornate basin that was sitting on the desk. He dipped a finger as if testing the liquid’s temperature, before bending over it. A golden ceiling welcomed his sight. His eyes darted from side to side, wishing and hoping he could see a shadow. Then he heard doors opening and the unmistaken sound of the Mjölnir being dropped on a rock floor.

“Thor!” He called out.

“Loki?” He heard Thor reply from a distance. “Where are you?”

“Check your vessel,” he advised.

Thor’s smiley face appeared. But his smile disappeared when he saw Loki’s somber face. “What happened? Is there something wrong?”

“Stella and I were in Athens last night. She needed to see her sister. When we left the hill we were attacked. She got stabbed.” Loki reported.

“And how is she? Is she well?” Loki shut his lips tight in reply. “Oh no.”

“I have no idea what is in their daggers and swords but the healing stones did not work on her.” Loki gripped the edges of the desk. “She’s in the medical bay being stitched by Banner as we speak.”

“The dagger Stella picked up days ago, is it still there?” Thor inquired.

He forgot about that. “It’s…” He paused, trying to remember the setup of Stella’s room. _If I was Stella, where would I keep the dagger?_ “I think it’s in her room. She didn’t bring it to Athens. I’ll check on it after this.”

“Very well, brother. We shall end this communication so you can find answers as soon as possible. I’ll be back soon.”

Loki stood straight and didn’t take a moment to recollect himself. He dashed to Stella’s room, his eyes scanning the whole place. He marched to the nightstand and checked the drawers. He took a step back and thought of the other places Stella could hide a dagger. Then he thought of checking the gap between the mattress and the headboard. There it was, wedged into the tight space. He pulled the dagger and gripped the hilt, feeling the low purr of energy. The dagger glowed green and it highlighted the carvings on the blade. It was an enhancement spell written in ancient Greek. _No wonder this dagger could break through their shields. If this could break our shields then it must affect Stella as well_.

“Jarvis, where is everyone?” He asked as he left the floor.

“They’ve convened in the lab, 10th floor.”

“Bring me there.” The elevator doors closed.

In the lab, Bruce was telling everyone present about Stella’s condition when the doors slid open and Loki entered, donned in his usual leather attire sans the coat. “How is she?” He asked no one in particular.

“She’s stable. We let her sleep for a while. Good call on the tetanus shot.” Bruce commended him. “But why was her wound badly infected?”

“I also have no idea. I made sure everything was clean before I touched it. Though it started swelling when I used the healing stones on her, a reaction that never happened before,” the god replied. Then he showed them the dagger. “It has an enhancement charm, that’s why it can break through our shields.” Natasha extended her hand and he gave it to her. “You can try it.” Loki summoned his shield. It disintegrated when Natasha slashed it with the dagger.

“It is something.” Natasha ran her fingers on the blade.

“Be careful, you don’t know how the blade can affect you,” he advised.

“How did you know that it was enchanted?” Steve asked Loki.

“He has magic, Steve.” Tony deadpanned.

Natasha gave back the dagger to Loki. “Well, that and the spell is etched on the blade, written in ancient Greek,” he told them and let his hand glow and showed them the highlighted inscriptions.

“Can I see it?” Tony asked him and Loki passed the dagger to the former. Tony placed the dagger under a camera and projected the inscriptions in the holoscreen in the middle of the room. “I don’t know Greek, Jarvis?”

“It’s a binding spell,” Loki replied first. “And that is ancient Greek. The spell bound Ares and the wielder of the blade.” He pointed at a line. He scrunched his forehead. It has been centuries since he last read an ancient Greek text. “That’s ‘to break all barriers.’ That would be our shields.”

“How about man-made energy shields? Like electromagnetic shields?” Bruce asked.

Loki bit his lower lip. “I hate to admit but I have no idea.”

Bruce looked at Tony, who tilted his head. “We can try,” Tony told him. He just shrugged back.

“Is there anything that talks about injuries?” Natasha asked.

Loki scanned the inscriptions and pointed at one. “Something here says bringing immense pain to whoever is on the other end of the blade.” His eyes darted across the room, specifically to Natasha and Bruce. He parted his lips but there was no sound coming from it.

“How was she when she was stabbed?” Bruce asked. Tony collapsed on a stool. “Was she in pain?” Loki shook his head, still confused. “Does it mean it does not affect her?”

“I used my healing stones on her but the wound did not close. Hours later her temperature rose, an infection was beginning. Later the wound bled. I used a healing spell on her but she screamed in pain.” Loki told them.

“Then whatever enchantment that was passed on to her must’ve canceled your magic?” Steve deduced.

Loki dropped his head and sighed. “Possibly. But I hope it’s not permanent.”

Natasha and Bruce looked at each other. Steve sighed and shifted on his seat.

“Or her body can heal, given her human physiology, but whatever is on the dagger can cancel your healing spells?” Bruce added.

“Maybe.” Loki acknowledged.

“Can she heal herself?” The doctor inquired.

“No, she can’t,” the god replied.

“We’ll know if she’ll wake up screaming.” Tony flatly said. Everyone shot him a look. “I know it’s dark humor but that’s the only way we find out.” Loki let out a heavy breath and groaned. This was getting trickier and they have just started. “Let’s just wish her demigod status can override the enchantments. That’s our only hope right now.”

* * *

Stella woke up feeling a little better. _If feeling less than a pulp is better_. She studied the room she was in. The light was dim; the walls were white. Two bags of liquid - transparent and red - hang above her. Two strings dangle from the bags. She traced the strings and it ended on her arms. Something was clipped on her finger. A constant beep in the background. There’s an itchy sensation on her nose. She poked her nose and her finger met a plastic tube.

She noticed the buttons on her right side and pressed one. The lower half of the bed rose. She pressed another button to lower it and then another button. This time the upper half rose and she sat. She shed her blanket aside. She was now wearing a white loose shirt and black pajama pants; her nerves twitched when she realized this but she quickly shoved her anxiety under her mental carpet. _Stella, for the love of god, they need to change your clothes because sleeping in jeans is the most uncomfortable feeling ever_ , she thought. She peeked through the neck of her shirt and Loki's tight bandage was replaced with a square and little rectangles across her body. New bruises emerged on her skin. She poked the stab wound and she felt that the skin was back together.

"Good morning, Stella." A voice greeted her over the intercom. 

Stella rubbed her face. "Who's it?" She croaked. 

The door opened. "It's me." Bruce entered. "I stitched you up. How are you feeling?" 

"I feel like this is the most comfortable bed ever." She leaned back to the bed.

"You're on good meds. Enjoy it while you can." They chuckled.

“How long have I been out?” She asked.

“Almost 24 hours. We let you sleep to help you recover.” Then Bruce remembered one of the binding curses on the blade. “Do you feel any pain?”

Stella brought her arms above her head and stretched, her joints cracking. She felt some of her wounds on her torso sting and some numb pain from her bruises but that’s it. “Some stinging here and there but nothing else.” She dropped her hands and placed one at the base of her back. “But I think my back is stiff. I need to stand.” She moved to leave the bed. Bruce stepped forward and helped her off it. “Thanks, doc.”

Bruce’s lips twitched upward. “Good to hear you’re not in any tremendous pain.”

Stella stopped pacing and pouted her lips in confusion. “It’s just a stab wound and some slashes.”

He blinked at her statement. “Yeah, yeah.” _That’s weird_ , he thought.

Stella sat at the foot of the bed, the tubes of her IVs stretching. "By the way, where's Natasha, doc?"

"She and Cap traced the source of the tracker. Traced it back to Nevada. They should be on their way back."

"Nevada? What are they doing there?" 

Bruce sat on a chair by her bedside. "They are checking out the area. Do a few interrogations on whoever they can lay their hands on." 

She sighed. "I am missing on all the fun. How about Loki?" 

"Last I know he’s upstairs. You need to rest and you still need to work on your sorcery, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve been meditating and focusing on my energy. Athena made me drink a potion, too. Good to hear she’s not kicking me out of the guardianship.” Bruce smiled sympathetically as she checked her hands. “Looks like I’m doing good. So far I can heat Nat’s cold coffee.” She turned to Bruce. "Dammit, we didn't get to eat gyros."

He chuckled. "There's a Greek restaurant downtown."

She grinned. "Hope it's as good as the real thing."

There was a knock on the door. Bruce stood up and peeked. "I guess I have to get going. I need to go pick up something downtown. See you later." Bruce gave her a small salute. 

She gestured back. "Pretty please get me some beef gyros, Doc? Extra onions, please. I'll pay you." 

Bruce stopped at the door. "Sure." He smiled.

He left the room and Loki entered and closed the door behind him. He came in picking on his palm, again. Her lips curled up upon seeing him. "Hey."

Loki took a deep breath and nodded. "How are you feeling?" He dropped his hands. 

"Much better compared to the last two days. I think I can have a throwdown against 5 of Ares's kids." She said with a little strain in her voice. 

"Are you certain you want to do that? You barely have your magic." His voice was toneless. 

"I slashed the first guy who tried to hold us down last night." She replied as a matter of fact. 

"And you were stabbed after," he added, still unamused.

"In my defense I was fending off 8 demigods in one go, stabbing them straight to the heart."

Loki’s lips twitched ever so slightly and crossed his arms in frustration. "For a warrior who was trained by a respectable goddess of war and wisdom, you are reckless." He exhaled. "Good thing I was there with you."

Stella’s eyes dropped to the floor and she chewed on her lip, unsure of what to make of his statements. “How are you?” She asked instead of giving another snarky remark.

Loki looked up at her as he sauntered to the chair across her. He was not sure what she meant by her question. “I’m good, thanks.” He sat. “By the way, the dagger is enchanted,” he told her.

Her head tilted slightly to the side. “It is?” Loki held out his hand and the dagger appeared. She picked it up and studied it. “Oh yeah. ‘Bound to Ares, this blade shall destroy all barriers. Bound to the wielder, this blade shall bring immense pain to whoever is at the other end of it.’” Stella read the ancient Greek inscriptions without difficulty. “I haven’t noticed this before.”

“That was the kind of dagger that was used to stab you when we were in Athens.”

Her eyes flicked to him. “I don’t feel any pain aside from the normal kind of pain from a stab wound right now. No wonder Doc Banner asked. You told them about this?” Loki nodded. “Now I am nervous. What if it’s a delayed effect?”

“I hope it does not get to that.” Loki ran a finger on his lips. Stella’s nervousness was infecting him at this point. Then he remembered she was wearing her necklace when they were there. He lit up. “But what if a protective spell was put on you?”

“Huh. Lucky me. I hope Athena did that. Dipped me fully in the Styx.”

Loki hoped the protective charm he placed on the chain helped her counter the binding spell on the daggers. But what he still cannot understand was why Stella screamed in pain when he tried to heal her with his magic.

“By the way, you tried healing me with your magic, right?” Stella asked as if she read Loki’s mind.

“Yes, I did.”

“Was it supposed to be that painful?”

He shook his head. “That’s what I don’t understand. I don’t know why that happened.”

“Then it must be this?” Stella studied the dagger.

Loki gave her a troubled look. At this point, he doesn’t know what has happened to her. He glanced at the glass wall connected to the door.

There was too much happening inside him, it was making him feel nauseous.

He wanted to understand but he couldn't. First, he doesn’t know what the dagger has and what kind of sorcery they were facing. Second, he was confused: did the enchantments on the dagger prevent him from using his healing spells on her? And third, he now feels like how he felt for Theo and the others back in the days. Theo was the only Midgardian he cared for but this time it felt like Stella made the cut. It takes something special for a Midgardian to have to charm him. If he could switch his feelings off he would, but there’s something in her that pulls him. He raised his head to examine her. She was deep in thought.

"You know," she started, "I think that you're not as dark as you want people to believe." His eyes dashed and locked with hers. Stella saw his eyes soften but his lips still shut tight. 

Loki stood up straight. “Are you sure about that?” Stella heard it more as a challenge than a question and nodded. He grinned and shook his head. “Be careful, little one.” He frowned when there was no ounce of fear found on her face. “Don’t trust your assumptions.”

She saw a loose thread on the blanket and played with it. “I think I now see why Athena trusts you,” she concluded.

Loki brought his hands behind him. “Is that so? Pray, tell.”

She raised her head. “I see a man who’s trying to make a name for himself but he doesn’t know how. But deep inside, the answer’s there. It just needs a little push. Or a shove. That’s why you’re with the good guys now. That’s why you’re doing this. There’s good in you, Loki.”

He turned to face the door, took a few steps to hide his face from her. “Don’t get your hopes up, naïve Midgardian. I’m here for the tesseract. That’s all.”

It came out as an insult. Stella felt like it was a punch to her gut but she ignored it. She didn’t have any problem working with a deceptive Loki but deep inside she feels something more. She feels like there’s a mountain to conquer. She heard stories of him being selfish and arrogant. She acknowledged those facts and she has seen those but what she doesn’t understand was why people were not talking about how caring he can be.

_Or was he not like this to others?_

_There must be a reason behind it_.

"You never heard of what I have done in this city." He coldly replied.

"Oh, I heard them alright.” She remembered watching the battle unfold before her and Odin swearing Loki’s death. “But I’m not afraid of you, unlike the others."

He faced her, his face now dark but there’s a hint of sadness. “They’re right. Listen to them. You should be afraid like all of them. I was born to be feared by everyone,” he growled. “You shouldn’t even trust me.”

“I have already trusted you and you let me. Was that a mistake?” Stella just gazed at him, her heartbeat steady. “Then you let that define you? I trust Athena, and if she tells me to trust you, there’s a good reason why. She can see through people and she saw you.” Loki’s lips parted, his expression softened, but snapped his mouth shut. “There.” A glimmer of hope dawned on her face as she pointed a finger at him. “That right there is why Athena trusts you more than Thor. That right there is why I trust you.” Her lips started to curve in a smile.

He broadened his shoulders. “I believe it’s me she chose because Thor is not a sorcerer.”

“Well, aside from that. There’s something in you. I just want to know you, Loki.” She offered her hand - the hand that’s not connected to the IVs - with a smile.

Loki licked his lips and gulped, looking at her extended hand. _What was she seeing?_ He thought as he clenched his fists. “I’m not here for a long run,” he blurted out. “Why are you doing this, anyway?”

She dropped her hand when he wasn’t accepting it. “I’ll answer that with a question: why are you saving me?”

He froze. For the first time, he doesn’t know how to answer a question. He could lie but it felt wrong. He could tell her ‘ _I just did that because we need you to locate Ares_ ’ but he didn’t _want_ to. He believes he can perfectly locate the god of war but deep inside something was nagging him, telling him that he needs her and not just for this case. _For what else?_ Multiple words appeared in his head but he doesn’t know for what exactly.

He didn’t want to lie to her, too. Even at this point, he doesn’t even know why he is doing this to her. Why was he saving her anyway? Why was he taking care of her? Were his thoughts on the bed back in Athens real? Were those real? Is she for real? Who is she, anyway?

Stella watched Loki as he gritted his teeth, brows furrowed as thoughts ran through his mind like New York’s pedestrian traffic on a rush hour. Loki was silent but she knew she had located a part of his vulnerable spot. _He isn’t what others perceived him to be_. Loki wrung his hands, took a quick look at her, and fled the room. Her eyes followed him as he got out of the door until he disappeared. She looked up to the ceiling and chewed her lip. She took a deep breath and as she exhaled, tears started to fall from her eyes.

She choked on her saliva. “Hey, what the hell, Stell?” She muttered as she wiped the tears with her sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week we'll be back on our regular programming: a new chapter every Friday. (^_^)
> 
> Yes, songs of the chapter! There will be songs dedicated for some chapters now and then. These are the songs where I sometimes anchor the mood of the chapter or the characters. ~~Also an excuse for me to expand my music library lol~~
> 
> So...what do you think? Drop all your comments, questions, etc. below or hit me up on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! (* ^ ω ^)


	14. Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s an intrusion in the Stark tower, despite Tony reinforcing the security system of the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Used to the Darkness by Des Rocs and Riptide by Grandson
> 
> _warning: mentions of blood and needles_

### Chapter 12: Ghosts

Loki returned to his room and sat on the couch. He rests his elbows on his knees and runs his hands through his face. _She doesn’t know what she’s talking about_. He kept on repeating to himself. But the more he says it, the more he’s unconvinced by his words, the more he wants to find out why Stella perceives him as such. In a world where everyone either avoids him or looks at him with such animosity, here is Stella Lords telling him that there’s good in him. He couldn’t understand what had happened. Unlike the other Avengers who are reluctant in trusting him, Stella showed that she trusts him fully, and it seems that she made sure to show it since they met again in Kalambaka.

He went back reflecting on his thoughts back when they were in Athens. _Have I grown fond of her?_ But this was not a question of him growing fond of her, the question was why she felt that way. She was not afraid of him nor acting cautiously around him. It was like she didn’t know what he did. _Maybe she indeed doesn’t know anything_ , he thought. _Or has she grown fond of me?_

 _No, it can’t be_. He stood up and paced through the window, overlooking the busy New York skyline. _If she surely knows my sins in this city, she can’t accept me. But why would she offer her hand when she said she wanted to know me?_ He felt his stomach churn unnaturally. His emotions were overwhelming and he wanted to throw up. Now, only one question reverberates in his head: _why?_

On the other hand, Stella was not so pleased to be stuck in the medical bay, thus she requested to borrow one of the Avengers’ spare laptops to work on some possible leads, talking to Alexis over a video call and asking for any developments on the case. Alexis told her that he is in contact with a few trusted demigods within the Ministry of Defense and they are working on how to report the incident to the mortals. 

“At this point, we’re willing to fabricate a story. The gods have nothing to say about this.”

“You mean our fathers?” Stella interrupted.

Alexis snickered. “Yeah. And congratulations on being tied to an IV after two decades.” He laughed.

Stella rolled her eyes. “So, it’s up to us,” she said after his laughter died down.

“No. It’s up to you.” He pointed at her. “It’s up to you and the Avengers. What we’re doing here is crowd control. And we still don’t know where he is right now.”  
“That’s why I’m working with these guys but I’m tied up at the moment, you see.” She raised her hands connected to the IVs.

Alexis chuckled. “You better slow it down this time, Stell. I don’t want you to hurt yourself further.” He moved on his seat. “Anyway, you said the daggers are enchanted?”

* * *

Around lunch, her gyro cravings were satisfied when Bruce came back with 3 gyros - one for her, one for him, and one for Loki, much to the Asgardian’s surprise.

Since Natasha was on the field with Steve, Tony was out of the tower, doing Stark Industries business, Bruce was on the move, going in and out of the tower and spending most of the time in the lab, Alexis went offline, Stella was left to her thoughts. Her conversation with Loki was on replay in her head. She opened her palm and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, a Rubik’s cube appeared on her hand. Satisfied with her simple act of magic, she shuffled the cube.

Her thoughts wandered back to the conversation.

She felt her chest swell when she remembered Loki saying “I am not here for a long run.” _Why would he say that?_ She thought as she turned each side of the cube. She was also wondering why Loki would save her, to the point of taking care of her. Even though she was heavily drugged by pain medicines he injected into her back in Athens, she’s grateful for the care he has given her. She dropped her hands on her lap and closed her eyes as her body remembered the sensation of his arms around her, her back against his chest, his warm breath against her skin. She smiled and let out a soft moan. She remembered his soft, low voice.

She badly wanted to know him more. Loki was a mystery she wanted to unveil. Loki’s flight from her room did not deter her.

Back in his room, Loki was on the barstool, a laptop open in front of him, and the dagger on his left. For the whole day, he was scavenging for any information about the dagger. He wanted to know if it has any historical significance. So far, he couldn’t find any information regarding the weapon. Sometimes he wished he was in Asgard with the dagger so he could extract the enchantments with the potions available there. He had no choice but to depend on Midgardian technology and his energies.

Despite busying himself with his research, Stella’s words were still nudging him.

He placed his elbows on the table and buried his face into his raised hands. He might be the god of tricks but this was a tricky thing to solve. He hopes Agent Romanoff and the Captain would bring back new information.

The alarm blasted over his head. “Attention! Level 51 has been compromised.” The PA security system blared.

 _Level 51. That’s where the scepter is_.

Loki got out of his room and he was swarmed by the same shadow soldiers Ares summoned in Asgard and the ones they fought off in Kalambaka. He cloned himself and pulled his usual tricks, making the soldiers stab each other or his clone stabbing the soldiers. When he has defeated all of the shadow soldiers both with his clones and magic, he translocates himself to the 51st floor.

In the infirmary, Stella took a moment to observe beyond the room’s windows when the alarm filled the silent bay. “JARVIS, what’s happening?”

“There has been an intrusion, Miss Lords. I will be reinforcing your room’s security.” A steel sheet appeared on the door and covered the windows. Stella remained calm, putting her trust in JARVIS and Tony.

“Who attacked the tower? Can you give me a live view?” The television hanging from the ceiling came to life and it showed her a hallway with shadow soldiers. She cleared her throat. “Show me Loki.” The video changed and she watched as multiple Lokis tackle on the shadow soldiers blocking his way on the corridor. “Any shadow warriors on this floor?” She kept her voice steady.

The images on the screen switched to show the floor empty. The nurses and doctor on duty were locked and secured in one room.

For Stella, silence from the god of war was not a good sign.

She heightened her senses and placed the Rubik’s cube aside. She opened her palm and concentrated, imagining her sword taking its shape on her -

Her eyelids flew open when her hands were grabbed away from her body. JARVIS activated the lights, blinding her and whoever was in the room. She blinked quickly and saw that the room now has six shadow warriors and four of them were holding her down.

She screamed and squirmed but she couldn’t release her arms. In her current state, the warriors were stronger than her. A shadow warrior jumped on the bed, standing over her, and his spear pointed to her neck. Stella didn’t want to cry but tears were now streaming to the pillow. She fought her tears as she tried to release a lash of energy from her arms.

Like a flickering bulb, blue sparks roughly appeared on her hands, burning the warriors gripping her but they held on. Stella groaned as she channeled her energies to her hands and the sparks grew stronger, enough for them to let go of her. Her hands flew to the spear and with all her remaining might, thrust it back to the warrior. The shadow warrior toppled off the bed and she swung the spear, hitting the warriors holding her legs on the head. She elbowed the warrior who grabbed her from the back. She stood up on her bed in a second, swinging and stabbing the spear on her attackers.

When they ended up dead on the floor, she noticed the pain on her hands and saw that the needles were dislodged and red splotches appeared at the back of her hand. She dropped the spear and pulled the needles, gritting her teeth as she did. Being in her weak state, she almost fell on a shadow warrior as she got off the bed. She looked at herself and noticed blood all over her clothes as if she was in a Quentin Tarantino movie. She checked the IV pole and realized that the blood bag exploded at one point during the battle. She pulled out a pair of sneakers from the cabinet and put it on.

“JARVIS, let me out please.”

“I can’t, Miss Lords. Th-”

“JARVIS.” Her eyes locked on the camera at the corner of the room. “Please. No offense but these warriors can go through your security system just like what they did.” The metal sheet retracted to the wall. “By the way, any hidden guns here?”

“Unfortunately, there are no weapons here.”

When she bolted out of the room, a swarm of shadow warriors appeared out of nowhere. She threw a bloody punch to the first shadow soldier she encountered. She bashed her spear to every soldier that came into her way. She ran towards the elevator and closed it behind her. To her surprise, the shadow soldiers suddenly appeared inside and she screamed, slashing them with the sword she grabbed from a fallen shadow soldier, fearful that it may be her last minutes.

Loki appeared on the 51st floor. When the shadow soldiers felt that he had arrived, every one of them charged at him. He put up his force shield as they stormed him. The floor rumbled and he saw the Hulk throwing each enemy soldier into each other like dolls but they disappeared into the night and reappeared.

He had to tell the Hulk that throwing them out was a useless endeavor but first he had to get out of this shield bubble. _Hulk, try smashing their head_. Loki sent the thought to Hulk. Hulk snapped his head towards him and bared his teeth. He then picked up two enemy soldiers and smashed their heads together. That’s it, Loki sent another thought and he swore he saw a smirk on Hulk’s face.

He closed his eyes as he brought forth his energy. He could feel the heat reverberating through his arms and when he released it, feeling like a bomb going off. The energy broke the soldiers in half.

Then he heard a woman’s scream. _Stella!_ He noticed the Hulk turn to the sound too. They both looked at each other and the Hulk ran towards the elevator, grabbing the soldiers out of it. Loki could not concentrate fending off the shadow soldiers. He wanted to know if Stella was injured once again.

“Doc Bruce, I’m okay! We need to secure the scepter!” He heard Stella shout. _She’s fine, she’s fine_ , he assured himself and continued to stab the shadow soldiers.

Stella punched the glass of the emergency box, making her fist bloody again. She pulled out the ax and started hacking every soldier that came in her way. She climbed a box to check who’s inside the room where the scepter is and she saw a man dressed in brown leather armor, enchanting his way to open Stark’s glass case that housed the scepter. She was sure that he was a demigod. There were shadow warriors all around him and it seems to be impossible to penetrate when it’s just her, Loki, and the Hulk fending them off. “Jarvis, where is everybody?! We’re outnumbered!” She said.

The AI replied through the earpiece she grabbed from her bedside on the medical floor. “Agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers are on their way back to the tower. They have been notified of the situation. Mr. Stark just arrived.” The window exploded and Tony flew by with his suit.

“Now who the hell broke into the tower?!” Tony said as he blasted the soldiers.

"I want that demigod tranqed!" Stella commanded, pointing her ax at the demigod.

Tony gasped when he saw her. “You look like Carrie after prom!”

“Not my blood!” Well, kind of her blood because all of those came from the blood bag that was hooked to her.

One of the shadow soldiers dragged Iron Man by his foot. “Get off me, you pesky seaweed!” Tony sent a photon blast to the shadow soldier and another one jumped on his back. “I’m going to be busy here, kid!” He told Stella and she nodded, slashing her way out of the shadow soldiers’ grips.

The soldiers don’t shed blood. Instead, they bleed a tar-like substance, which now covered Stella’s clothes. She hacked her way inside the laboratory; when she entered the scepter was gone.

“Looking for this?” A man said then choked Stella from the back using the scepter.

Stella’s eyes widened. _That voice sounds familiar_. She mustered all her strength and elbowed him. As the man curled, she snatched the scepter from him and swung it at the nearest soldier. She faced the man and touched his chin with the tip of the scepter.

She gasped. “Jericho?!”

Jericho grinned wickedly. "Lords, it has been a long time." He swept at her feet and she stumbled hard, releasing the scepter, her head hitting on a metal bar screwed to the floor. Stella huffed in pain from her head and her stab wound, threatening to open for the third time. At the same time, Jericho unleashed energy throughout the whole room.

Tony looked at the ceiling when the lights on the floor flickered. “What was that?”

“It’s external energy that went off on this floor, sir,” Jarvis replied through his suit’s system.

He looked around but there was no visible explosion. “On this floor? Where exactly?” Tony heard Stella gasp over his earpiece. He flew and saw Stella struggling to stand inside. He blasted the lab's glass wall but it only trembled. “It should have been broken by now”, he said and sent another blast. Nothing happened. 

"The walls are enchanted!" Loki yelled at him. He tried throwing his dagger and the shadow soldier's spear at the glass but to no avail. Loki conjured the Aresian dagger and pierced the force shield around the room. The dagger ignited a spark and it ricocheted off Loki’s grip. He extended his hand; the dagger stopped midair and he summoned it back to him, keeping it back into his subspace.

“Do the spears have spells on them?” Tony asked as he pummeled one shadow soldier standing between him and the room. 

Loki picked up one to inspect but got thrown off his feet by another shadow soldier barreling in. The Hulk grabbed the shadow soldier off Loki and smashed its head to the concrete post. The Hulk then turned to Loki, who raised his hands in defense. “I didn’t do anything!” Loki yelled. 

The Hulk picked him up by the shoulder of his coat and dropped him on his feet. Loki’s hands were shielding his face, ready for impact. The Hulk grunted. “Puny god.”

While that was happening, Tony picked up a spear while blasting energy beams on shadow soldiers attacking him. “Jarvis, any inscriptions on this spear?” A light beam appeared from Tony’s helmet and scanned the spear.

“Nothing similar to the dagger, sir.”

Loki went back to counter-attacking next to Stark. "She's trapped. This isn't good. I should be the one in there. The scepter won't work on me." Stark told Loki and he continued hurling the soldiers with Hulk. 

Loki jumped over the soldiers and landed in front of the room’s glass. He held onto the glass and concentrated his energy on his hands. Static pricks his palms and he felt like a grenade went off on the wall as he released it. But to no avail. He banged on the glass. "Stella!" He yelled and she looked at him as she came around. She was still on the floor, scrambling around for her ax. Loki tried using his magic to bring the ax to her. Despite the walls being enchanted, he could move the objects inside the room.

Stella still felt dizzy, making her retch. She tightened her grip on the ax and, through blurry eyes, sought for Jericho. She pushed herself off the floor with all her remaining strength.

Jericho was working on extracting data from Stark’s mainframe when he noticed she was coming back from unconsciousness. He picked up the scepter, raising the tip to pierce Stella’s heart. Stella gripped the ax and swung the scepter away from her. She slid past him and stood up. A desk was hovering above him and she glanced at Loki, who was already using his magic to move objects. Loki dropped the desk but Jericho deflected it with his magic. Stella hooked the ax on the scepter and kicked Jericho. Despite being thrown back, he did not release his grip on the scepter. 

Stella stumbled closer to Loki. "I want him tranquilized. Can you do it?" She asked him.

"Not at this distance," he replied. His heart felt crushed when he made a closer look at Stella. She has lost all the color on her face and her eyelids were threatening to shut. She started moving from him, limping because her stab wound was opened once again, a sizable bloodstain evident on her side.

Stella ran towards Jericho and hooked her ax on the scepter once more. Jericho tightened his grip on it. Stella swung him closer to Loki. This time she successfully threw him to the middle of the room and disarmed him. The scepter is now in her hands. 

She kicked Jericho in the jaw and he was thrown into the glass wall near Loki's feet, unconscious. A shadow soldier kicked her injured side, filling the room with her blood-curdling scream. Stella bashed the sharp end of the scepter on the soldier's head. She then hitched the scepter on to Jericho's necklace and snapped it. The amulet slid to her feet and she struck it with the tip of the scepter. The shadow soldiers disappeared as well as the enchantment covering the room.

Stella felt a surge of energy from the scepter. It felt like it was trying to pull her down; she feels a thick liquid closing in on her brain. She resisted, forcing her mind to remain open.

"Stella! No! Not the scepter!" She heard Loki scream.

"Stella put down the scepter." She heard Tony say. She turned to them. "Stella. Please calm down." Tony's suit dismantled as he touched the ground. "Calm down and return the scepter."

"Stella, please. Put down the scepter." Loki pleaded. “Please put it down. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Stella stood up, malice written all over her face. Her eyes turned blue and she was looking at them like she does not recognize them. 

“Oh, no,” Tony muttered as he realized what was happening. He remembered Clint having those eyes when he was under it.

Loki raised his eyebrows and his jaw fell. “It cannot be,” he muttered. Stella took a step closer to them. “Leave her alone!” He screamed at her.

“Is that…” Tony trailed off and glanced at Loki. “That’s not Ares, is it?” Loki’s jaw clenched. “Who are you?” Tony asked her. She snapped her head to Tony and raised the now glowing end of the scepter to point it at him. "No, you don't want to do that."

“You want me, right? Then attack me directly!” Loki challenged. Stella’s blue eyes flicked to him.

She grinned the evilest grin her face could give and charged at them. She raised the scepter above her head and Loki blocked it with the sword he conjured, tossing her back. She grunted and regained her footing, going back to attack Loki. “Stella, come back to us!” He commanded.

Tony realized what was happening and he sent a blast to hit the scepter and it flew from her hands. “Stella, I know you’re in there. Please put the scepter down,” he said.

For a few moments, Stella was immobilized for reasons unknown. Loki lowered his sword. “Stella? Are you with us?”

Behind her, Jericho started to come around. He saw Stella's back on him and he slowly reached out for the ax. Loki saw the movement behind her and snapped his fingers, making Jericho pass out.

Stella whipped her head to where the scepter is and she sprinted to it. Loki raised his hand and the scepter levitated. Stella stepped on a couch and jumped to snatch the scepter from Loki. She landed and attacked Loki again, him blocking her again with his sword.

“Okay, what the hell is happening? Why are you attacking Loki and not me?” Tony said as he started to disarm Stella with his gauntlet but every blast he sends to her, she deflects it with the scepter.

By this time, Hulk went back to the room and when he also realized what was happening, he dashed towards her but before he could come nearer, she waved the scepter, immobilizing him. She turned to Tony and immobilized him as well.

Leaving Loki on his own.

“I know it’s not you who’s with us right now, Stella. But I know you’re in there.” Loki said as Stella promenaded to him, dragging the scepter behind her. “Stella, if you hear me, fight that force in your mind. Resist. Because I am not going to fight you.” Stella jerked her head to the side and her eyes flickered from blue to brown and back again. She stopped walking and shook her head. “You can fight it, Stella. I don’t want to hurt you.” Loki’s sword disappeared back to his subspace and he walked closer to her while she was struggling to keep up.

Stella looked up and she was back to her normal self. “Loki…” she almost fainted but she used the scepter to keep her up.

Loki noticed that Tony and the Hulk were still immobilized. He moved to her cautiously. “Stella, I need you to drop the scepter.”

“No, I can’t. I can’t let you have it again,” she whispered.

“Just drop it on the floor,” he commanded and he stepped closer, his hand extended. “Can you do it, darling?” He placed his hand on Stella’s shoulder and-

Stella’s eyes went back to blue and she shoved the tip of the scepter to Loki’s side. Loki’s eyes grew wide as he held onto the buried part of the scepter. “No…” He uttered.

Tony badly wanted to scream and stand between them but he was still immobilized. He tried moving his fingers but the only thing he managed to do was to groan out of frustration.

Stella roughly pulled the scepter off him and a dark liquid spurted out of the wound. "Come back to us, Stella Lords." Loki's voice trembled as he pressed a hand on the wound, trying to stop the blood flow. Some sparse breaths later, he fell on the floor. Tony and the Hulk were also released from the enchantment.

Stella loosened her grip on the scepter and it clattered on the floor. Tony walked to her and grabbed the scepter. Her eyes turned back to brown and her eyes fluttered shut. “Good god.” Tony released the scepter to catch her before she hit the floor as she fainted. He studied her and she was losing color. “Run Stella’s vital stats, please.” He said as he shed off his Iron Man suit, feeling the moisture of her blood seeping through his shirt.

He pressed a hand on Stella’s wound. “Blood loss is at 27% -”

“Okay, that’s all I need to know. Shit. Call for medical help ASAP and pick up the scepter.” Tony’s Iron Man suit reintegrated and walked to pick up the scepter near him.

“Yes, sir. Medical help ETA is 10 minutes.”

Tony reached out his other hand to check Loki’s pulse. He wiggled his fingers through the leather sleeve and tried to pinpoint his pulse. “JARVIS, how about Loki’s heart rate?”

“Heartbeat is at 135 and he’s losing temperature fast.”

Tony gave up on finding his pulse and he pulled him a little bit closer. Sure enough, his eyes were glassy and steady. “Is he dead?”

“In a while, Sir,” the AI solemnly replied.

The Hulk grunted, shaking his head. Tony swallowed as he watched Bruce shake off the big guy. The latter ran towards the dark hallway. It would take time for Bruce to steady himself in his own, normal-sized body.

"Sir, Loki Odinson has passed away. Time of death, 9:54 PM." The AI announced. Tony slumped on the floor, still holding Stella.

Tony was alone.

But only for a while.

“Did you call anyone?”

“I only called Sir Happy because Miss Potts is in strict do not disturb mode as of the moment.”

“Good. Uh. So, I don’t know what to do with these demigods lying around in my tower.” For the first time, Tony was confused and he didn’t know what to do. He was holding Stella who was hanging by a thread, Jericho was just lying unconscious a few feet away from him, and a deceased Loki in front of them. “JARVIS, what’s Nat and Cap’s ETA?”

“25 minutes, sir.”

He stood up, carrying Stella. “How long can Stella hold?”

“45 minutes.”

“Shit.” He placed her on the metal worktable. He laid his palms flat on the surface and dipped his head low, his breathing going heavy.

“Sir, you are having a panic attack.”

Tony’s head was still down. He blinked as he tried to steady his breathing. “Don’t mind me, JARVIS. I just need to keep Stella and Loki safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Oh no..._
> 
> Been too busy lately that I almost forgot to update. (*/ω＼)
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	15. At Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Loki dead and Stella unconscious, the Avengers figure out what to do next.

### Chapter 13: At Loose Ends

Bruce turned back to normal and he watched as a doctor started working on Jericho, extracting the cyanide pill. Tony closed off the 51st floor, transferring the scepter to the next floor above, and busied himself with checking the damages of the floor, Happy by his side. Happy noticed that there was a weight being carried by Tony internally.

“You need to get some rest, Tones.” Happy told him as they facilitated the repairs on the floor. Tony was staring blankly into the grey wall in front of them. “Tony? Tony?” He waved a hand in front of him.

Tony jerked and came back to the room. “Yes?”

Happy was still looking at him. “Yeah, you badly need to sleep.”

“I’ll get some rest after this.” Tony crossed his arms on his chest and yawned, covering his mouth with a hand.

“No. Do it now.” Tony looked at Happy, whose lips were in a stern, tight line. “Come on, I can handle this.” Tony ignored his friend and watched the people repair the floor. “Or do I need to call Pepper?”

“Okay.” Tony moved to leave the room. “No need to fly her back from London. I’m leaving.” He turned to the door.

“JARVIS, make sure he gets to the penthouse.” Happy commanded the AI.

But Tony didn’t go straight to the penthouse. Instead, with a little verbal battle against his AI and a remote Happy, he went straight to the medical bay.

Stella was in one of the bigger rooms on the floor. Tony entered and the soft beeping of the machine next to the bed welcomed him. She was connected to the machines and IVs around her through the tubes and wires. She looks a little better after the medical staff cleaned the blood off her and changed her clothes. Her chest slowly rising and falling gave Tony a bit of comfort. He stopped by the foot of the bed, his hands resting on the hard plastic frame. “How is she?” He asked quietly.

“She is stable, sir. Her blood levels are now up by 56%,” the AI replied.

“She wouldn’t wake up sooner, will she?”

“We couldn’t tell, sir.”

Tony remained to stand, dejected. He didn’t know what to do as of the moment. He wanted to work on the case but it doesn’t feel right. Deep inside, he knew he needed her and Loki. The Avengers needed both of them. But now one has passed away and the other is unconscious, he felt like he was trapped in the middle of a labyrinth with no exit.

* * *

Natasha and Steve arrived hours later, entering a downcasted tower. Natasha rushed to the medical bay upon arrival. Steve found Bruce wrapping his hands on a warm cup of chamomile tea in the common area near the labs where he usually works, soft classical music playing in the background. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”.

“Hey.” Steve sat on the single couch on Bruce’s left side.

“Hey,” Bruce replied and smiled weakly.

Steve leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “How bad is it?”

“Depends on what you’re talking about.” Bruce raised his mug to his lips.

“Stella?” Steve looked at his teammate with doleful eyes.

Bruce took a moment of silence, sipping his tea, before putting it down and replying. “She doesn’t have her powers back and now she’s confined in a hospital bed again. She hasn’t even fully recovered yet and she’s down. It’ll take weeks, maybe months for her to recover,” he explained, anxiously rubbing his palms together. Then chuckled sadly. “She’s gonna hate it.”

Steve smirked, imagining how Stella would react if she finds herself waking up in a hospital bed in the middle of an unfinished mission. Even when he only knew her for a short time, he knows she’s going to be disappointed for sure. Steve stood up. “I’m going to see her. Maybe Nat’s still there,” he told Bruce, who nodded in reply.

The door to Stella’s room opened. Natasha turned to see who it was. “Hey, Steve.”

“Hey.” Steve stood by the foot of the bed. Natasha was cradling Stella’s hand on her lap. “Any developments on her?”

Natasha looked at their unconscious teammate on the bed. “Still no other movement aside from her breathing. She had it bad.”

“Loki’s dead.” Steve reminded her as if saying Stella’s condition was not the worst thing that happened while they were out.

“I know.” Natasha placed Stella’s hand back to the bed and moved to face him. “Bruce said she was under the influence of the scepter.”

“Have you seen the footage?”

“No. Not yet. How about you?” Steve shook his head. “I don’t know how she will react to his death.” He looked at her quizzically, like he was asking ‘ _what do you mean?_ ’. Natasha recognized the look. “I think they have an affinity for each other. Loki won’t go the extra mile to save her.”

Steve straightened his back. “Maybe he was just saving her because he needed her?”

“We need each other.”

“No, I mean Loki needed her for the tesseract. It’s her half-brother who we’re facing anyway.”

Natasha pursed her lips. “I think it’s more than that. Loki is different around her. Sure, he can be the usual Loki we know but he’s...different,” she explained as she remembered how Loki would talk to Stella, or that time he was panicking, carrying an unconscious Stella after their Athens stint. “Has anyone notified Thor about the situation?”

“I think so. I’m not sure.”

“I’ll keep Stella safe here. You look out for him when he arrives.”

“Why?”

Natasha turned to watch Stella. “Just do it, Steve.”

* * *

Thor was notified of Loki’s death by Heimdall, though the latter didn’t specify who killed Loki and how he died. He just told Thor that he died. When Heimdall returned to his post, he sought for Loki but he had disappeared across the realms. Heimdall knowingly smirked.

Thor immediately left Asgard with a heavy heart and arrived in the tower seconds later. JARVIS notified everyone of the god’s arrival and Steve rushed to meet him.

A part of Steve was anxious to see an angry Thor storming in, demanding to see who killed his brother. He knew how much Thor cares for Loki and he knew Thor doesn’t want Loki to go back to his waywardness.

But a morose Thor in all his Asgardian ensemble was what Steve met. Steve waited for Thor to enter the building before greeting him. “How did he die?” That was Thor’s first question.

Steve slightly tilted his head forward. “The tower was invaded by Ares’ demigod overnight. Loki was stabbed after and died.”

Thor’s eyes went dark. A roll of thunder was heard outside the tower. “Where is this demigod?”

“He’s now imprisoned and under control. I suggest you leave that to us.” But Thor walked past Steve, to the elevator. Steve caught up with the god.

“JARVIS, is the prisoner in this building?” Thor bellowed.

“The prisoner is in an undisclosed location, Mr. Odinson,” the AI replied.

Thor turned on his heels, now facing Steve. Steve stopped on his tracks when he saw fury all over the god’s face. “Are you keeping secrets from me, Rogers?” Thor growled, his knuckles turning white from gripping the handle of the Mjölnir. Steve stood his ground. Rain started to pour outside.

Steve understood why Natasha wanted to keep Thor away from Stella. Nat’s command was to keep Stella away from the situation as possible and right now Steve was having a hard time going with the flow, given that he’s also not fond of secrets among the team. But Natasha urged him to do it. And if Thor was going to misunderstand the whole thing, it’ll cost Stella’s life, for sure.

To let the other Avengers rest if ever what Nat was thinking would happen, he called Sam and Clint to stay in the tower for a while and they were on stand by a floor below. Natasha was in the medical bay being the last fort. Steve was waiting for Thor to say or do something.

“I’m sorry about Loki.” Steve broke the silence.

Thor’s angry façade melted to sorrow. “I thought he could never die again,” Thor replied and settled on the couch. Steve approached him and gave him a pat on the back, not knowing what else to say. “Who else was with him?”

“Tony, Bruce, and Stella.”

Thor’s head rose a little. “Stella has not yet fully healed. Was she safe while it happened?” He looked at Steve, who shook his head. Thor realized that his friend might be injured once again. “Where is she?” Thor’s voice was still heavy.

“She’s in the hospital.” Steve lied.

The god looked up to him, his brows furrowed in worry. “How is she?”

Steve sat on the couch in front of Thor. “She has lost a lot of blood, given that she has not yet recovered from her previous injuries and she fought last night. She’s still unconscious.”

Thor stood. “I’d like to see her.”

Steve nodded sympathetically. “We will see her when the time comes.”

* * *

The next day, after getting some rest, Bruce and Tony dove into studying Stella’s physiology. By the time they walked into her room, her blood levels had stabilized and she had gained color, though she was still unconscious. Her wounds looked better now, even the stab wound was not swelling anymore.

With the help of JARVIS, Tony has determined the energy levels of Stella’s power, the AI detecting the foreign matters coursing through her body but now concentrated at her core, near her heart.

“I tried running scans on her but it wouldn’t show up in the images,” he told Bruce as the latter peeked over his shoulder, checking the blood and energy levels on the screen.

“So it’s like a Jedi’s midi-chlorians?” Bruce added.

Tony stifled a yawn before replying. “ Uh, sure. But I’m still figuring out how to quantify her energy levels. We need help with this one.”

Bruce walked to his station and typed something. “But isn’t she a demigod? She sure has Zeus’ blood in her veins that can speed up her recovery.” He swiped a finger on his screen and a window popped on Tony’s screen. Tony scrolled through. “Ichor. The blood of the gods.”

“The question is, can it be passed on to their children?” Tony pressed some icons on the screen. “It’s an unknown element. Nothing in the world’s database.” He started another scan on Stella. “We’re looking for another unknown element or matter,” he told his AI. A yellow light ran through Stella’s body. Bruce and Tony were fixated on the screen, anticipating the unknown matter to pop on their screen. “Run it again,” Tony commanded and the process was repeated twice. Still nothing.

“It’s a myth, Tony.”

“Norse gods were a myth until Thor and Loki showed up,” Tony replied, not leaving his sight from the screen. “You were the one who treated her first, right?”

“It was Loki,” Bruce replied.

Tony crossed his arms and scratched his chin. “Mmm. We need an ouija board.”

“Why?” Bruce glanced at Tony.

“What was the color of her blood?”

“Red.”

“She doesn’t have it, then.” Tony’s eyes ran through the screen, trying to find an answer. “Says here it’s going to be gold or something like that.”

“But we can’t conclude something as nothing even if we have not seen it.” 

“And you’re telling me it’s a myth?” Tony scowled at him and he just shrugged. “We need help on this one. JARVIS, connect me to doctor Faiza Hussain.”

* * *

A few floors below, Natasha, frustrated, exited the room where Jericho’s holding cell was. “How did it go?” Steve asked.

“He doesn’t want to talk to anyone except Stella.” Natasha pulled out an earpiece and placed it on a small tin container sitting on the metal work table. “I guess you heard everything.” She leaned on the table and crossed her arms on her chest.

“Not everything. I arrived 5 minutes ago.” Steve’s eyes were fixed on the monitor showing what Jericho was doing on the other side of the room. This time, he was sitting on the chair, legs propped on the table, his mouth opening as if he’s singing. “How’s she?”

“Stable but has not woken up yet. Tony and Bruce have now detected her energy but they’re still figuring out how to quantify her levels.” Natasha explained.

“At least it’s there. Good to know.”

Natasha studied his grim face. “So, where do we go from here?” She lamented.

“Stella’s still unconscious, this prisoner won’t talk, Nevada was a dead man’s land…” Steve paused to breathe. “At this point, I have no idea.”

“Is that the prisoner?” Natasha and Steve flipped to the direction of the gravelly voice. Natasha’s hand instinctively rested on the holster of her stun rod.

“Thor…” Steve acknowledged. He dropped his hands, ready to block any blow if ever.

Thor stepped out of the shadows and stopped before them. “Has he been here the whole time?”

“No. He just arrived here this morning.” Natasha interjected.

Thor ground his teeth in anger, his knuckles turning white from clenching too tight. “I’ll make him talk.” Thor stormed to the holding cell.

Steve stepped in front of the god. “Thor I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Why are you protecting this prisoner?” Thor’s nostrils flared, keeping his hands to his space to prevent hurting Steve.

“We’re not protecting the prisoner, we just think it’s not a good idea for you to enter the cell,” Steve explained.

“Out of my way!” Thor shoved Steve aside with one hand. Steve caught his arm and tried to push him back, but Thor overpowered Steve and he stormed into the holding cell. Thor opened the door, stomping his booted feet, Steve tailing him. Their arrival startled the young demigod inside. Thor wrapped his massive hand on Jericho’s neck, lifted him, and pinned him to the wall. Jericho’s eyes widened at Thor as he tried to pry open the god’s hand. “Who commanded you to kill my brother?!”

Jericho’s reply was a mess of garbled words and choking. Thor shifted his hand and pressed the Mjölnir on Jericho’s chest, allowing the latter to breathe and reply. “I didn’t kill your brother! It was Stella!”

Thor clenched his jaw. “The guardian would do no such thing.”

Jericho fleered. “Oh, that’s one thing you don’t know about - UGH!” Thor pressed the hammer on his chest. Jericho tapped Thor’s arm and the latter loosened a bit. “That’s one thing you don’t know about her,” he continued. “She’ll do anything for the mission.” Thor didn’t look convinced. “She’s only using you and in the end, she’ll bring you to Ares and you will all fall on your knees before him.” 

“I will bow to no one.” Thor hissed.

Jericho grinned. “Oh, she will make you. We will make you. She already killed Loki because he refuses to do so.” He noticed Steve was still on the door, alert. “Why don’t you ask your trustworthy teammates here? I believe in this kind of smart building, there must be some kind of footage that night.” Thor released him unceremoniously and Jericho dropped on the floor with a thud. “Ow.” He pushed himself up. He looked up and Thor was still looming over him. “Stella killed Loki, Thor. She stabbed him with a scepter.”

Thor turned and pounded to the door, to Steve. “Thor, that’s not what happened.” Steve declared.

Thor stopped before Steve and glanced back to Jericho. “Who are you to say these things?” He asked.

Jericho stood up at some point. “One thing’s for sure. I know her better than all of you do.”

Thor continued to the door. “Thor, listen -”

“You are hiding things from me. What happened exactly?” Thor thundered as they left the room, interrupting Steve. Steve, who was standing behind Thor, met Natasha’s eyes. A cold sweat trickled on Steve’s temple as he waited for Natasha to speak. That was the plan, Natasha was going to tell Thor what happened in due time. But the time was premature.

“Remember what happened to Loki last 2012?” Natasha started. Thor’s blue eyes were fixed on her, sending daggers. Natasha pressed a button and a screen went up to life, showing them the scene during that night when Jericho invaded the tower. Natasha and the others already saw this video and they understood what happened. This was Thor’s first.

Thor saw how his brother fought the shadow warriors and how he worked with Stark. The image changed and showed Stella fighting Jericho, swinging her ax until she disarmed him and got hold of the scepter. Seconds later they saw Stella fall on her knees, her eyes changing blue, along with her whole aura. Thor started to realize what happened. His anger turned to anguish as he watched his friend, the guardian, thrust the scepter to Loki. Thor released his clenched fists and gripped the edge of the table.

“This cannot be. It cannot be,” he muttered.

“It wasn’t Stella’s fault.” Natasha consoled. “Do you have any idea what happened to her and who was behind that? It was the same thing as what happened to Clint and Loki himself.”

“Yes, it is the same,” Thor replied, head down. “But Loki never said anything about who is behind all these.”

“This is not Ares, is it?” Steve clarified.

“If this is Ares then we would be seeing the same effects on Jericho.” Natasha returned. “And we don’t have any information yet as to who Ares and this Jericho is. We’re hoping Stella would wake up soon for answers.”

“Ares also does not have the scepter to use it on his demigods,” Thor added. “He is using a different kind of magic. If only Loki is here with us, he can give us answers. He must know something since he has been studying everything since we were little,” he fondly recalled. Then he turned to Natasha. “Where is Stella?”

“Still in the hospital,” she replied quickly.

Thor was not picking up on the lie so Natasha and everyone else worked around it. He straightened up, still contemplating the events and the information he had received. “What happened to Loki after he fell on the Bifrost is still a mystery among us. He would never tell us what happened after that.” Thor sighed. “He doesn’t trust us,” he said bitterly.

Silence falls on them, letting them into their minds. Thor is mourning for Loki’s death and for the unfortunate event that fell on the guardian. Steve stood there, thinking it’s too late and concluded that they had run out of options. Natasha started to think of possibilities, even thinking of using the truth serum on Jericho so they won’t waste time.

* * *

Days after, Clint stormed into the tower and confronted Natasha with what he found out. “Is it true?” He asked when he saw Natasha combing through SHIELD agent files on a laptop in one of the working areas in the tower.

“Hi, Clint. Nice to see you,” she said without her sight leaving the screen.

“Hey, Nat.” Clint snapped his fingers urgently in front of her. “Is it true?”

“The what?” She replied, still not looking at him.

“Did Stella go under the influence of the scepter?” Clint whispered as if someone could hear him even though it was just the two of them on the floor.

“Have you seen the footage?”

Clint grabbed a stool and sat. “Yes, and I’ve read the report.”

“And that’s what happened.”

“Natasha, this is dangerous,” he said with great emphasis.

Natasha finally looked up. “When was our lives not in danger, Clint? And besides, you can thank her for killing that one person who’s at the top of your hit list,” she huffed. “What did Fury say?” Clint raised an eyebrow. “We haven’t heard a word from him.”

“He said we deal with it.”

“Of course.” Natasha picked up her glass and took a sip of her protein shake. Then she glared at the screen.

“How can we guarantee that she’s not under the influence of whatever that is forever?”

She placed her glass down. “That we have to find out.”

“Great...”

“She passed out right after stabbing Loki and that’s it until now.” Clint signed. “We can’t wake her up. She’s too beaten up. I guess you know her previous injuries,” she replied.

“I can’t go out there with someone who is possibly mentally tied up to something sinister,” he insisted.

“You won’t. I’ll handle that.”

“It’ll be hell if you’ll be under the scepter’s influ-”

“The scepter’s locked away in a vault. Tony did that right after the event. It wouldn’t leave that floor ever.”

Clint relaxed a bit and placed his hands flat on the table. “What’s next?”

“Inject truth serum to that guy. I can’t find any active records on him. All we know is that his name is Jericho and he’s a possible demigod.”

“That’s it?”

She crossed her arms on her chest. “We wait for Stella.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	16. The Killing Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella woke up and she found out what happened.

### Chapter 14: The Killing Kind

Stella woke up.

She found herself in an unfamiliar dim room, _again_. The room smelled too sanitized, _again_. There was a beeping sound in the background, _again_. She wiggled her right hand and she felt a needle stuck into her hand, _again_. She opened her mouth but it was painful. _That was new_. She feels like there’s cotton in her mouth and she can feel her lips cracking every millimeter she opens. She wiggled her whole body and she felt nausea hit her like a truck. _That’s definitely new_.

She heard the door open and a bright light illuminated the room. “No…” she faintly pleaded and shut her eyes.

“Ma’am?” A soft voice of a lady was heard. “How are you-”

A tear fell from her eye, a reaction from the sudden brightness. “The lights...” she pleaded again.

Stella heard a woman murmuring and the lights were turned down to the dimmest setting, but still functional for reading. She slowly opened her eyes and saw two figures above her. Everything was still blurry and dim but she could figure out that these two were women because of their voices and silhouettes. One woman introduced herself as a doctor and the other was a nurse. They said their names but she didn’t catch it. Farrah? Louie? Stella felt a hand on her right forearm and saw that it was from the doctor. Her lips were moving but Stella couldn’t figure out what she was saying. She was too focused on adjusting her senses that she forgot to zero in her auditory senses to the doctor.

“It’s okay, it might take time for her to be fully conscious. She seems to be disoriented.” The doctor assured the nurse, who was starting to be agitated.

“What time is it?” Stella whispered, her voice was raspy and it hurt speaking.

“Please get her a glass of water,” the doctor instructed the nurse and she quickly fixed a glass of water on the table. “It’s 3:46 in the morning, Miss Lords.”

“Do you have water?” The doctor nodded as she inclined the upper half of Stella’s bed. Louis assisted Stella with the water. As the water flowed through her, so did the questions. Most of the questions cannot be answered by Doctor Fa..Farrah? Stella’s eyes swept between the doctor and the nurse. “You’re Doctor...Farrah?” She asked the woman with a white hijab.

The doctor smiled. “I’m Doctor Faiza, Miss Lords.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. And you’re Nurse Louie?”

“Louis.” The nurse smiled.

“I’m sorry again.” Stella leaned back and let her eyes rest for a while. Even though the room has minimal light, it still stung her eyes.

“It’s okay. Waking up disoriented after being unconscious for a long time is normal.” Faiza explained.

Stella’s eyes fluttered open. She gawked at Faiza. “Doc, did you say unconscious for a long time?”

Faiza nodded. “You’ve been asleep for a week and a half now. Everyone thought you would be out for a good month but, given that you’re part god I concluded that you’ll recover quickly than a normal human being,” she explained like it was normal for her to have demigods and super-humans as patients.

Stella decided to go on to her next question. “Where’s everybody? Where am I?”

“You’re in the medical bay in the Stark Tower, though this is a bigger room compared to your previous one. Everybody is still asleep but they have been notified through their phones. How are you feeling, Miss Lords?”

“Stiff.” She weakly raised her empty plastic cup. “And my mouth still feels like it’s stuffed with cotton.” Louis immediately filled Stella’s cup and she drank, savoring the taste of water at room temperature. “And I want to sleep again.”

“It’s okay. You can go back to sleep. But before anything else, are you feeling pain?”

“I don’t know.” She brought her left hand to her stab wound and pressed it lightly. Instead of a sharp pain, she only felt a numb pain, and it felt like the wound had completely closed. “This is numb.”

Faiza nodded thoughtfully. “It’s okay. You’re doing great.” Stella slightly nodded, not noticing that she had released her grip on the cup. Good thing it was already empty. Louis removed the cup and walked to the counter on the left side of the bed. “We’re going to draw blood from you to run another test an-”

“Why?” She asked blankly.

“We need to check if your blood levels are back to normal. You lost a lot of blood.”

“Really?” Stella badly wanted to go to sleep. The more she fights it, the heavier her eyelids feel. But she wanted answers, even the partial ones.

“Yes, and we are going to inject a few medicines into your IV line but since you said you don’t feel immense pain, we’re going to lower your morphine dosage.”

Louis placed a hand on Stella’s left arm. “May I?” She asked and Stella extended her left arm as a response. Louis started to prep her arm for extraction.

“I was on morphine while I was unconscious?” Stella asked Faiza. “How did you know I needed them?”

“I saw your nervous system react to pain.”

“You saw my…what…”

Stella didn’t know, but Faiza could see through her like a CT scan. Since Stella was a demigod, Tony thought it would be best if a human mutant would check on her. Faiza saw Stella’s nerves bursting with reactions because of the pain and many more. She also saw how Stella’s energy gets stronger each day. Though she couldn’t determine whether Stella has the ichor or not.

Stella’s head rolled to the side as Faiza and Louis prepared and administered the medicines. Louis checked on their patient and Stella was just watching them with beady eyes. “I think you need to get some rest,” Louis told her.

Stella let herself succumb to sleep.

Hours after, Stella woke up again to a dim room. She pushed herself up without any difficulty and sat on the bed, her eyes scanning the room. Unlike earlier, this time she feels a little livelier, but her head feels heavy due to the long hours of being asleep. She rubbed the heel of her free hand on her eyes and slowly shook her head to full consciousness. The door opened and Faiza announced herself.

“Good morning, Doc.” Stella said. “Did JARVIS tell you that I was up?”

“Yes, he did.” Faiza stopped next to her bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Weird. Like I don’t want to sleep for the next few days.” She heard her stomach grumble. “And hungry.”

“JARVIS, please send some food for Stella up here. Thanks.” Faiza instructed the AI, to which he also replied and told them lunch will be there in 3 minutes.

“Lunch?” Stella looked around for a clock. “What time is it?”

Faiza checked her watch. “It’s already 4:17 in the afternoon.”

Stella face-palmed. “Ugh. I’m not sleeping tonight.”

“But you need to. Your energy also has not reached a hundred percent yet.”

Stella looked at her in surprise. “How did you know…?”

“I managed to locate your power source within you and since you were healing unconsciously your energy went up to 15%.” Stella crunched her eyebrow, her expression crossing between horrified and curious. “I could see the cross-sections of a patient’s body but I wouldn’t do it while you’re conscious.”

Stella’s eyes widened. “Are you saying you’re a…” She looked at Faiza. “Mutant?” She whispered.

Faiza smirked pleasantly. “Yeah, something like that. It’s quite useful at times. But I’m not here for that,” she said as she checked Stella’s IV and blood bag. “You have reached the normal amount of blood in your system. Allie will be removing this -” she tapped the needle connecting to Stella’s blood bag - “later on.”

“Can I leave this place? I could use a walk.”

Faiza cocked her head, studying Stella. “Most of your cells have regenerated. You have torn a few strands of muscle inside but it’s 85% healed.” She pursed her lips, thinking deeply. The door opened and a young man entered, bringing a tray with a bottle of water and a bowl. He set it upon the table and pushed it to the bed. Stella and Faiza thanked the man as he left and Faiza encouraged Stella to eat. Stella picked up the spoon. It was miso soup with soft tofu. “You can’t have anything solid yet for a week. Your throat was dry for more than a week and you need to bring back the moisture in it.”

“Yeah, it still feels dry.”

“Going back, I think I can discharge you tonight.” Stella smiled. “But you can’t do any physical activity for a month and a half, or until your body has completely healed.” Stella muttered an ‘oh good Lord’ under her breath as a reply. Faiza took a moment of silence to contemplate before starting. “I know you’re after Ares and I know he’s your half-brother.”

Stella paused. “You know Ares?” She suddenly thought if Faiza knew something about Ares, like his whereabouts and who he’s working with at the moment, if he was.

Faiza leaned on the bed. This conversation was veering from doctor-patient to mutant-demigod. “He tried to steal my sword but of course there are only two people in this world who can wield it.”

Stella tilted her body closer to Faiza. “What do you mean by that? Is it like Thor’s Mjölnir?”

The doctor nodded. “Have you heard of the Excalibur?”

Stella gasped. “Wait...wait a minute. Excalibur. You. Ares.” She took a spoonful of soup before speaking. “I remember.” She slowly nodded. “You’re the Excalibur.” Faiza nodded. “He has a huge obsession with ancient weapons.”

“Yeah. Good thing he couldn’t get his hand on my sword.”

“Wait a minute. You’re based in Europe. How did you...why are you here?” Stella trailed off.

“Mr. Stark asked for my help here. Told me that they couldn’t figure out how to treat a demigod.” Faiza has an amused smile on her face.

She took a spoonful of soup with tofu. “Well, they’re not wrong. But how about Loki? He knows how to treat gods. Maybe he also knows how to treat half-gods.” Stella mused. “Oh wait. It’s complicated.”

“How is it complicated?”

Another spoonful of soup before speaking. “He tried healing me using his magic but the Aresian dagger’s residual magic prevented him from doing so. It hurts.”

“This Aresian dagger, is this the one with the crooked blade?”

“Yeah. They have enchanted it with dark magic. Do you know anything about it?” Stella asked.

“No but I have seen some people carry that when I was out on a mission.”

Stella perked up. “Were they friend or foe? And where?”

“Foe. In Europe.”

Stella nodded, trying to piece things together with her fuzzy brain. She placed her spoon down when she realized she finished her soup. She closed her eyes and rubbed her eyes. “God. This is a lot of information to take in.” Faiza told her to slow it down. “Yeah, I am but I can’t help to connect the dots. I am not surprised if you saw people carrying Aresian daggers around in an undisclosed location. Ares was mobilizing his army a long time ago and it’s just now that he made major attacks to Asgard then on Earthrealm.”

“I agree. It is a lot to take in.” Faiza chimed in.

“And I know you’re surprised you got caught up in this complex web.”

Faiza chuckled. “To be honest I am, a little bit. But after defending Great Britain from aliens, super-humans, and whatnot, nothing really surprises me.”

“And that’s from Ares attempting to steal your sword. I wouldn’t be surprised if he would want to steal Thor’s Mjölnir and Steve’s shield. Probably even Tony’s suits.” Stella shrugged. “He was always crazy. Any idea where he is right now?” Stella decided to dive into it.

Faiza shook her head. “That was a long, long time ago. When he found out that the Excalibur was found he immediately traced it to me and threatened me.”

“Let me tell you that that is not news. He even turned his back against Olympus bringing some ancient weapons with him.”

Faiza shrugged. “I wish I could help you but that’s all I have.”

Stella smiled and nodded.”It’s okay. It’s still information, nevertheless. Thank you, doc.”

Faiza smiled back, relieved. She straightened up and ran her hands on her pants, flattening the creases. “So.” she tapped on her watch and a holoscreen appeared. After a few scrolls and readings, she tapped it again and it disappeared. “I’ll go out to call the nurse to take off all the tubes and wires from you. Looks like you’re good to go.”

Stella beamed. “Any idea how strong my energy is?”

Faiza fixed her eyes on her. “Mmm...you’re at 66%. Better than the first day you went dark.”

Stella suddenly remembered the reason why she ended up there. “Do you know what happened? I couldn’t remember how the fight ended. All I could remember was snatching the scepter from Jericho and everything went dark.”

“I’m sorry, I have no idea. Mr. Stark just told me you guys were in a fight and you passed out.”

Stella just nodded and Faiza excused herself. After 30 minutes, she finished her lunch and Allie, the nurse, entered the room to remove the wires and the IV lines from her. Before she left, Faiza dropped by again to give her a black rectangle box.

“It’s a smart watch.” Faiza explained as Stella opened the box. “It’ll determine your blood levels and how many percent of your body has healed. It can also determine your energy levels, but of course you need to help yourself enhance the energy.”

Stella wore the watch and pressed a button on the side. With a few swipes she saw her vital stats. “Thanks, Doc. Did you make this?”

“Tony and Bruce worked with me to create that.”

“I should pass by the lab on my way out. Oh, by the way.” Faiza looked up from her clipboard. “I know this is a really corny question but did anyone see me while I was out?”

Faiza smiled. “All of them.”

“Did Loki pass by?”

The doctor pursed her lips. “I’m afraid I have not seen him ever since I arrived here.”

“Huh. Okay.” Stella felt weird. Her stomach dropped but she didn’t let Faiza notice her uneasiness. _Maybe he’s mad at me for what I told him before we got attacked?_ Then she felt ridiculous for expecting him to visit her. _We’re just colleagues for crying out loud_. But Faiza confirmed _all of them_ visited her. She swallowed the thought as Faiza and the nurses attended her.

After one last round of check up and instructions, Stella hugged Faiza and she left the medical bay. While she was standing in the elevator, she felt tired and told JARVIS to bring her to her floor instead of bringing her to where Tony and Bruce were.

The floor was dim when she stepped out of the elevator. The only thing that illuminated the floor was the afternoon sun spilling through the windows from the common area. She stopped by Natasha’s door and raised a fist to knock, but she decided against it when she felt the drowsiness sinking in. She turned from the door and her eyes rested on Loki’s door. She dragged herself to his door and knocked.

No reply.

She knocked again.

No movement.

She opened the door and surprisingly it was unlocked. She peeked and Loki’s scent hit her: pine, mint, and something musky. “Loki?”

No reply again.

She opened the door wide. The room was illuminated by the sunlight and it was empty. She took a step inside and peeked. Everything looked normal but the sheets were untouched. _Maybe he went back to Asgard or somewhere else_. She told herself to ask Thor about him. She yawned, closed the door, and proceeded to her room, where she snoozed as soon as she hit the bed.

She woke up the next day with a grumbling stomach. She pushed herself off the bed but she felt nauseous when she stood up. She felt so weak that standing up makes her feel dizzy. She slapped a hand on her watch.

“Miss Lords, your blood sugar has dropped below the normal level.” JARVIS reported.

Stella sat on the bed. “Yeah. I believe so. I’m hungry,” she said as she buried her face on her hands.

“Would you like to have your breakfast sent to your room?”  
“Yes, please.”

5 minutes later, a nurse came into her room and placed a tray of soft food, a mug of green tea, and bottled water on the table. Seeing Stella’s weak state, the nurse helped her walk from the bed to the table. The nurse asked her what else she needed and she replied that she needed nothing more, thank you very much. The nurse reminded her of her medicines that were arranged on the counter and left her room.

Stella picked up her fork and studied the fruit bowl. She first pierced a sliced banana and dipped it on the small tub of honey yogurt and ate it. Being unconscious and under heavy medication for quite some time has restarted her senses making the banana taste like...metal. She picked up a table napkin and spat the banana on it. She picked up another slice of banana and ate it plainly. It does taste like metal with a hint of banana. 

She stopped chewing and contemplated on her options. She badly wanted to stop eating, but she was hungry. Another option was to stop the medications but she didn’t want to. She wanted to be a good girl and continue eating, trying not to mind the metallic taste on her tongue and remembering the taste of the food before her.

After breakfast, she entered the bathroom and shed off her clothes and placed the watch on the sink. She stood naked before the full length mirror and saw for the first time the damages she has acquired in the past weeks. There were faint bruise marks and cuts of various lengths and depths all over her torso. She remembered being stabbed but she couldn’t remember being slashed all over. Then her eyes rested on the long slash mark on her right side. She traced the scar and put slight pressure on it. It felt weird. It felt like there was something beneath the skin. She dropped her hand to the side and studied herself.

True, she had multiple scars from her battles and missions before this but her wounds were immediately treated by Apollo or Asclepius. The wounds would disappear upon their touch. But this time, she’s on her own and these scars are here to stay. It now reminds her of the warriors’ bodies during the ancient period, worn out and scarred from the multiple battles they had to face.

It was not a sight to see, she knows that. But she shrugged it off since the scars were inside and no one else could see them. But she thought of buying a scar oil she saw her mom was using on her surgery scars when she was still a kid. She might buy one if she gets the chance.

She stepped into the bubbling tub and closed her eyes as she settled. Unlike her gustatory sense, her olfactory and tactile sense have not altered. She enjoyed the strawberry scent of the bath bomb and the cold water around her.

Despite thinking she couldn’t fall asleep again, she woke up and stretched. The water has gone mild. She drained the tub and finished her bath. Then dried up and grabbed some clothes - she chose a grey loose shirt, black straight cut jeans, and her black DMs. She grabbed her amethyst necklace, her watch, and pill organizer from her bed stand and checked herself on the mirror, applying light makeup, before heading out of her room.

Since she managed to doze off in the tub, she thought of grabbing lunch before seeing any of them. She asked JARVIS to bring her to the ground floor. She passed by the SI employees, clad in business attires. She could easily be pinpointed among the throng because she’s the only one who’s wearing casual clothes. Anyway, it was a great day to head out and have Korean food for lunch. She knew there was a Korean restaurant a few meters from the tower’s door and she headed there as soon as she stepped out of the tower.

After grabbing fish cake soup for lunch (although it still tastes like metal for her), she headed back to the tower and told JARVIS to bring her to Tony. A few minutes went by and she stepped into the floor of Tony’s lab. She stopped by the door and waited for JARVIS’ signal before she entered the lab.

Tony looked up from his work table as she entered. “Hey, Stella! Glad to see you up and about now.”

“Long time no see.” She sat across him.

Tony dropped the tools he was holding and sat on the stool. “Yeah. I actually didn’t expect you to get up from that bed after almost 2 weeks. We were thinking you’ll wake up after a month. I was surprised last night when Doc Faiza told me about it.” He removed his safety goggles. “How are you feeling? Your band told me that you left the premises. Well, not that you’re not allowed to leave, you can go anywhere. I was just worried you might faint and you’re out there alone.”

“I’m fine, Tone. Don’t worry. I’m here in one piece.” She raised her hands as if presenting herself. 

“Yeah-” he nodded, trying to shake off the anxiety building inside him - ”yeah. So, how are you?”

“A little light-headed -”

Tony crossed his arms on his chest, disappointed. “And that’s why you can’t wander out of the tower for so long. What if you faint and Ares’ demigod kidnaps you?” Stella raised her left wrist, the one where the band is attached. “They can destroy that.”

Stella chuckled. “Thanks for this, by the way. Doc Faiza told me about it.”

Tony smirked and pressed some buttons on the screen. “If it weren’t for Faiza, we wouldn’t figure out how much energy you have.” Her vital stats and energy appeared on screen. Her energy is now up by 67%.

“I haven’t tested my energy yet. Though I can conjure simple things.” she opened her palm and a pen appeared. She gave it to Tony for him to confirm if it’s real.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t tire myself out.” Tony gestured at her healing percentage. It was still at 54%.

“But 67’s already a good sign, right?” She said as she wiggled her fingers. She then concentrated, imagining fire on her fingertips. A second later a blue flame appeared on her hand but was extinguished immediately, causing her to stumble. Good thing she held onto the table and Tony rushed to her side.

“What I told you,” he quipped. “And your healing capacity went down.” Stella checked the holoscreen and her healing capacity became 53%.

“Oh dear. How I wish I could translocate to Athens. I need Athena and Apollo. Or Loki, he can help me figure it out.”

Tony gulped as he heard her words. Last week they talked about how to break the news to Stella once she woke up. How would you tell your teammate that she killed her ally accidentally? They thought of the question and they realized it was a hard situation even for them. Especially for Tony. When he started working with the Avengers, he vowed to protect everyone. No one should die under his watch.

Now, it looks like the responsibility of breaking the news to Stella is on him.

“Where’s Loki, by the way? Haven’t seen him since I came back to the land of the living.”

Tony blinked. “He’s not here at the moment.”

“Oh.” Stella said casually. Tony avoided her eyes and picked up another tool, trying to go back to what he was doing before she entered the lab. “By the way, what happened that night?” She started. Tony’s throat dried. “I don’t remember the last part of it. How did we capture Jericho? I blacked out after holding the scepter.”

He looked at her. “You blacked out?” Stella nodded. “Huh.” He slouched. “Okay. You blacked out.” 

Stella was looking at him, eyes wide in curiosity. “What happened?”

“Uh...you blacked out and…” Tony looked at her and released his breath. “You fought us.”

Her lips parted in shock. “I fought you?”

He nodded. “We don’t know why and how, but Loki said it must be the scepter.”

Stella remembered the events during the Battle of New York and watching Loki through the orb in Asgard’s war room and then the feeling she had when she held onto the scepter that night. “Are you saying I was under the influence of that?”

Tony pressed his lips tightly together and nodded firmly. “As per Loki, yes.”

“Where’s he? I need to talk to him about it. Something like this shouldn’t happen again.”

He wrapped an arm around him and covered his mouth with another before speaking. “The thing is, he can’t come back.”

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean? Is he in Asgard?” She frowned. “Did Odin finally decide to bring him back there and imprison him? Out of the blue?”

“Stell.” Tony leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. 

Stella became nervous all of a sudden. His tone of voice was not desirable. She waited for him to continue.

“I wish there was an easy way for telling you this, but it looks like there isn’t.” He bit his lower lip.

“Tony. What happened that night? Tell me,” she demanded.

Tony’s face crumpled and he pressed a button on the screen. The footage from that night played between them. Stella watched in horror as she saw herself fighting them and using the scepter against them, her eyes blue. She gasped when she watched herself stab Loki with the scepter. Tony pressed a button and the footage disappeared.

“I...I killed Loki?” She said in a small voice.

“It was not you, Stella.”

“No...it was...it was me. My body.” She choked on her emotions. “Does Thor know?” Tony nodded and she hissed a curse. “I’m dead.” Tears started to fall and she didn’t care if Tony saw her cry. She killed Loki. Odin will hear about this. Athena will, too. Also Zeus. Despite if it was an accident, she still feels accountable for his death. “I’m dead,” she muttered as she started sobbing.

“No, you’re not. Thor said nothing will happen to you.”

“What about Odin? I killed a prince, Tony! A prince! That is crime against Asgard!” She covered her trembling lips with her hands. “Thor wouldn’t do anything but Odin will.” She stood up and started pacing. “I’ll also be sentenced in Olympus.”

“Stella, it was an accident.”

“No! They wouldn’t see that as such. Olympus has seers, just like Asgard has Heimdall.” Tony tilted his head. He doesn’t know what a Heimdall is, he mentally noted to ask Thor about that. “Loki didn’t attack me or do anything to endanger my life. He just stood there and talked me out of it and I stabbed him.” Stella stopped on the window overlooking the city. “He should’ve taken it by force.”

Tony’s chest felt heavy. “He didn’t want to fight you. I didn’t want to fight you either.”

Stella turned to him. “You should have! Like how you fought him years ago.”

He took a sharp breath. Stella’s statement hit him differently.

Stella started to feel dizzy so she walked back to the stool and sat. A soft beep caught Tony’s attention and he opened the red exclamation mark at the right side of the screen. It was Stella’s medical notification along with a message from Faiza asking how and what she’s doing. Her heart rate was going on 139.

“Stella, I need you to calm down,” he softly said.

She forcefully wiped her tears. “I can’t. I’m scared.”

He stood next to her and placed a hand over her hand. “Your heart rate is going beyond normal. It’s not good for your body. The more you hurt yourself, the more your healing capacity goes down.”

“I don’t care.” She pushed herself away from the table and left the room.

Tony wanted to stop her but the good part of him made him stay. “JARVIS, track down Stella’s movement and vital stat. Keep your eyes on her,” he said when the door closed behind her.

“Will do, sir.”

Stella didn’t want to see anyone else that day. When she entered the elevator, she asked to be brought to the rooftop. It was not a common destination for people to hangout to and for Stella it was the perfect place to be alone. A cool breeze hit her once she opened the door. She strolled to the edge and leaned on the concrete barriers. Her tears had dried up this time and she felt nothing.

She brought her hands up and took a good look at them before she concentrated. She could slightly feel her energy running under her skin, feeling like a feather. A faint blue mist appeared but she knew it still wasn’t strong. She pressed the button on her watch. Her energy was still at 67% but her healing capacity was down to 50%.

She climbed on a flat, cemented structure on the rooftop and sat, hugging her knees to her chest. She knew the mission was still active but right now all she wanted to do was to be alone and forget everything just for a day.

* * *

Tony called everyone as soon as Stella left the floor. Natasha was the first one to arrive. When she saw Tony, she already knew what happened. She sat on a bar stool, waiting for Steve, Bruce, and Thor to arrive. When they did, Tony stopped pacing and faced them.

“You told her?” Steve asked first. Tony nodded. Steve sighed. “How did it go?”

Tony looked at Natasha. “As you expected.”

She nodded. “We couldn’t avoid this from happening. She will find out once she wakes up. Where is she and what did she say?”

“Rooftop.” Tony replied. “She’s scared of Odin and Olympus. She said she’s doomed to be sentenced for life.”

“I won’t let that happen.” Thor told them.

“So there’s a possibility that your father will punish her for that?” Bruce asked.

Thor’s lips crunched and he tilted his head to the side. If he was to be asked for his opinion, at this point he wasn’t even sure if their father would avenge Loki’s death. Time has proven that Odin cared less for his younger son. Ideally, the king would avenge his son’s death. Stella would be punished for it. But Thor was sure Odin would let it pass.

As for him, he was mad his brother was killed. He would definitely avenge his death. But he would not hurt Stella. He will find out who made her do it. If it is Ares, he will make sure he will die on his hand.

Natasha started to worry when Thor was unsure of what would happen to Stella. The room stood still. No one knew what to say. Natasha didn’t know what to expect and what would happen next. Will demigods from Olympus show up in the tower to pick Stella up?

“I think it’s possible for us to defend Stella. She didn’t do it consciously.” Natasha began.

“How? We’re just mortals.” Bruce replied.

Natasha shifted on her seat. “I think Athena can be reasoned with.”

“How sure are you Athena will listen to us?” Steve interjected.

“Do you know who Athena is?” Natasha tilted her head to Steve. “If things worsen, then Athena can help us save Stella.”

Tony sat on his chair, trying to figure out if Natasha was joking or not. Thor, on the other hand, is slowly being convinced by her proposal.

“How are we going to talk to Athena? Stella can’t teleport to Athens.” Steve said. Natasha raised her eyebrow to him. “Oh, are you saying we use the Quinjet?” She nodded. “Then you have to convince Stella that Athena can save her.”

“Now that I think about it,” Thor interrupted, “I think Athena won’t let it happen to Stella. I believe Athena can convince Zeus to spare Stella.”

Natasha raised her hand to Thor, as if saying ‘see, he gets it.’

“What do you say, Stark?” Steve asked.

Tony jerked when he was called. He zoned out at one point during their discussions. “For me, let’s just see what will happen in the next few days. It’s not easy to hypothesize something when we don’t personally know the parties involved,” he explained. “Yes, we know Stella, but we don’t know how Athena or Zeus will react to this.”

Everyone agreed. And that’s it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Faiza Hussain is a canon character in the Marvel universe, specifically Earth-616. I thought it would be good to get an existing doctor in the universe and Dr. Hussain was a perfect fit, wielding an ancient, legendary weapon and a doctor who has the power to disassemble and reassemble anything. No, she did not physically disassemble Stella (lolwhat). Her power is called psionic bio-deconstruction. [More about Dr. Faiza here.](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Faiza_Hussain_\(Earth-616\))
> 
> As for the Aresian dagger, I know I haven't given a full description on it, but the whole time I was writing this story way back April, I was thinking of the [moro gunong](https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/3304415/) dagger here in Mindanao, but a little shorter than what is in the site and it has even number of waves, unlike the moro gunong that has 5 waves.
> 
> So, there you go. Stella's up, Loki's gone, the team's in a pseudo-limbo. What's next?


	17. In The Bleak Midwinter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella fought her feelings and went down to the business of telling the Avengers everything she knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs of the chapter: The Killing Kind by Alex Vargas, Codeine by Cemetery Sun, and Hallucinations by PVRIS

### Chapter 15: In The Bleak Midwinter

Stella has been sobbing hard for the first time since her mother died. Her palms were flat on the tiled wall of the bathroom. The drops from the shower masking her tears. She was afraid of what would happen next. She knew Olympus will be after her and they will show up in the tower anytime soon. Maybe tomorrow. She’s afraid to spend the rest of her life in prison. She decided to beg for death if she kneels before her father, Zeus. At least she can be with her mother.

The last time she first and last saw Zeus was back when she was a child. Most of the memories connected to it were blurry except for this one. She can’t believe the next time she comes face to face with him is the moment when he has to sentence her to life in prison, or her begging for death, all because she was lured to kill Asgard’s prince.

 _Loki_. The pain she felt in her chest made her sit on the floor. She was close to earning Loki’s full trust. She was close to knowing him deeply, to become his friend. But the event happened and she stabbed him. She didn’t know what happened when she stabbed him. All she could remember was the power surging from the scepter closing in on her consciousness. She lost her mental battle with it and blacked out. Next thing she knew she woke up after a week only to find out Loki is dead.

She fought the pain she felt over his death. For her, mourning him would be pointless. She’s bound to the same fate. She controlled her tears, making it stop. She then decided to work on the case as much as she can before Olympus gets a hold of her. She knew everyone was counting on her for information so she decided to make things easier for the Avengers.

 _Why do I even feel this way? So broken over someone I don’t even know much_.

She turned off the shower, dried up, and wore the dark green shirt Loki made her wear in Greece (though it was not the exact one since Natasha replaced that shirt without her knowledge). Before she could move on to the next clothing, the sting she felt in her chest made her sit down and another wave of tears left her eyes. She placed her towel on her face and fell on the bed wearing nothing but a green shirt and her underwear.

“Wearing this shirt is a bad, bad idea,” she croaked. She sat up, thinking of changing her shirt, but she ended up staring at the pile. “Stella, get a grip. It’s just a shirt,” she told herself. She took a deep breath and fresh tears fell once again. “Ugh, fuck!” She slapped the towel to her face. “Stop crying!” She stood up and walked to her dresser. She placed her palms flat on the table and gazed at her reflection. Her eyes were red and puffy for hours of crying. “Lords, I swear to god. Stop crying,” she said in a low voice, almost threatening, and sniffled.

When she felt like she had controlled her tears, she pulled up her black skinny jeans and slipped on the sneakers. She checked herself on the mirror, and, seeing her puffy eyes, proceeded to get ice from the mini freezer she has in her room, wrapped it in a small towel, and placed it under her eyes before heading out.

When Stella showed up in the common area near the medical bay, Natasha didn’t know what to say or do. This was the first time Natasha saw her since she woke up. She didn’t know what to expect from her at this time.

“Stella.” That was the only thing Natasha can say as of the moment.

Stella looked grim despite her efforts of trying to look lively. “Natasha.” She moved her head in recognition. She stopped on a laptop and booted it up.

Natasha walked up to her and sat on the stool across the table. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she replied, her puffy eyes still locked on the screen. “I’ll do everything to give you all the information I can get in this short period. We’ll never know when Olympus’ guards would show up at our door to chain me up or when Thor decides to bring me to Asgard. I’m guessing days.”

“He said he won’t let it happen.”

“See? It’s still bound to happen.” Stella starts typing. “Anyway, have you gotten information from Jericho?” For the first time since she entered the floor, she looked directly at Natasha.

Natasha wanted to hug Stella. She looked so tired and it has affected her physically. Her healing capacity has slowed down because of the stress. Faiza was giving them the option to tranquilize Stella so she could heal but most of them were against it. “No, he wouldn’t talk to anyone.”

Stella nodded and continued typing. “I think we should have a meeting. I’ll formally introduce him to you. I mean, I’ll tell you who he is.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Natasha immediately asked. She knew Stella might be scared to face Thor and she didn’t want Stella and Thor to be in the same room for now. Natasha wasn’t sure if Thor would be okay to see Stella but she was just trying to keep the relative peace. Since this happened she was wary of Thor avenging his brother and hurting Stella.

Stella bit her inner lip, trying not to let her feelings rush through her head. “We need to. We don’t have time.”

Natasha’s eyes were still fixed on her. “JARVIS, call everyone for a meeting,” she said after a few seconds of silence.

“Done,” JARVIS replied.

As they were waiting, Stella tried to calm down and prepare herself to face Thor. For a moment she thought it was a bad idea, remembering that he was also mourning for his brother’s loss and he might be mad at her. But she told herself she had to face him and tell them everything she knows about Ares and Jericho. Though she doesn’t understand why Jericho did this. She has yet to find out.

One by one they entered and each of them patted her back. When Thor entered, Stella gulped when he marched to her. Thor wrapped his arms around her and almost picked her up from the ground, much to her surprise. “It’s not your fault, my fair Lady,” he whispered. Stella fought the tears from resurfacing. Thor released her from his hug, his own eyes puffy, and walked to a stool beside Steve.

Natasha released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. At least the worst didn’t happen.

She looked at them before she started. “You might be wondering why I called you up for a meeting. It’s because I believe I only have a few days left before the guards come knocking at the door or Thor receives an order to surrender me to his father. Whichever comes first.”

“Lady Lords, before anything else, that wouldn’t happen.” Thor interrupted.

“We’ll never know,” she replied. Thor was about to retort but she raised a hand. “Let me. So, today I want to tell you everything I know. I encourage you to ask questions.” She waited for them to acknowledge what she said as she sat back on her stool. “Okay, first of all, Natasha, Steve, what happened in Nevada?”

"It was an old S.H.I.E.L.D warehouse. Already listed as decommissioned in the 1970s but we found satellite tech inside. It confirms the possibility of a S.H.I.E.L.D agent working for or with Ares, because in the first place why would they use a decommed warehouse? There's nothing left there 'cept old bones and lost souls. And all have those necklaces like the one you brought here." Natasha reported.

“What does S.H.I.E.L.D do to their decommed areas? Do they sell it?” Stella inquired.

“No. They just leave it be or it gets demolished immediately after using it.”

“Okay.” Stella shifted. “So it’s possible it’s someone inside. What else happened?”

It was Steve who spoke this time. “There were humanoid beings that were summoned by sorcery.”

Stella pressed a button on the screen and footage of a shadow warrior appeared. Burly, tall beings with skin dark as the night, eyes glowing yellow, and a black smoke engulf their bodies. “Do they look like this?”

Steve nodded. “We thought we were the only ones in that compound until they showed up out of nowhere.”

“These shadow warriors, as I have observed, are powered by the amulets the demigods are wearing. I remember -” Stella paused as her heart started to ache - “I remember the shadow warriors disappeared when I destroyed Jericho’s amulet.

“Which leads us to Jericho.” She swiped the laptop’s screen and Jericho’s profile appeared in front of them. “This is Jericho Castle. He is Hermes’ son with a mortal. We were trained by Athena together and it looks like he has turned and worked for Ares.”

“How would you know that?” Steve asked. “I mean, how would you know he works for Ares? You haven’t talked to him yet.”

“He wouldn’t steal something Ares wanted if he was still working for the good cause. Being the son of Hermes, he gets the skills of his father. Cunning and he could freely move between realms, especially the world of the dead and the mortals. That makes him an asset to Ares. 

“One of his strategies is he will try to outwit you. He’ll trick his way around the realms. That’s what saved him when he was trapped in the underworld. Jericho is a tough nut to crack. He's a fighter. He won't back down and sometimes he would play around with you.” Stella felt her stomach flip. Jericho’s cunningness reminded her of Loki being the god of mischief. _If he was here_ , she thought, _he would find this amusing, meeting another trickster_. “That's all you need to know if you have to talk to him," Stella advised.

Thor dropped his head as he remembered his younger brother. “Like Loki?” He said.

Stella kept a straight face and replied, "yeah, like Loki" in a professional tone. "Jericho is tricky.” She took a sharp breath, she hated herself for breaking whenever she heard his name. The weird thing is, she now doesn’t feel guilt. She now feels like how she felt when her mother died: empty and lost.

She grabbed her arm, gripping it to bring her back to reality. “Another thing, Ares and Jericho don’t have any magical energy. At one point Ares has obtained magical energy. We still don’t know his source up until now. This might be the same source for the demigods’ and the amulets’ energies. But the source is not important right now.”

“So, we conclude that we are against magical beings?” Bruce clarified.

“Yes.” Stella pressed her watch and her energy is still steady at 67%, though her healing has become 51%. At this point, she stopped caring about whether her magic would return fully or not. The cells in Olympus are enchanted to stop magical energies from regenerating. Her powers are of no use. “That’s why Athena asked me and Loki to work with your team to go after Ares.”

Everyone locked their eyes on Stella when they heard her say his name. It was the first time for others since she woke up. She had her professional, Detective Lords expression is written on her face. They were talking to Detective Lords this time. The upbeat, carefree Stella was nowhere to be found.

But deep inside, Stella was curled up in a ball in the corners of her mind. She shouldn't be affected by this but it broke her to pieces. She expected them to talk about him or mention him; now she's cursing herself for caving in. 

Bruce was studying Stella on the side. She looked so professional talking about Jericho and how to extract information from him but her eyes seemed distant. Eyes don't ever lie.

“So, what are we going to do with the demigod?” Thor asked.

“I’ll bring him with me back to Olympus,” Stella replied without missing a beat.

“On the other hand, Jericho only wanted to speak to you. He was asking you the whole time I tried to interrogate him.” Natasha told Stella. “I was close to using the truth serum on him.”

“After this, I’ll go speak to him.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Tony asked Stella.

She took a deep breath as tears threatened to reappear. “I have a few unknown days left. Might as well maximize my remaining time.” She shifted on her seat. “Speaking of, if ever you’ll face Ares, secure your weapons. He might try to steal it. He tried stealing the Excalibur, among others.”

“So if Ares sent Jericho to steal the scepter, then there is someone working for Ares who knows that the scepter and the tesseract work together.” Tony proposed. “What if -” he turned to Thor - “it’s Selvig?”

“Erik will do no such thing. He is intelligent enough to prevent something like that from happening again.” Thor stood up, dropping his arms to his sides. “Besides, the scepter is with us. No one can control his mind to work for them.”

“Where is he now?” Bruce asked.

“The last time I heard from him he was in Europe.”

“Clint and Fury also cleared Selvig on this case,” Natasha added.

Tony’s leg started shaking. “Then it’s someone new. Or old. Someone who has been in the scientific division of SHIELD for so long he or she has a higher clearance by now. Someone who can move around without giving any suspicions.”

“And you have to figure that out,” Stella said. “Though I wish I could see it firsthand.”

“Can you enter SHIELD? I guess you can.” Tony began, excitement bubbling in his voice.

“She doesn’t have enough security clearance to enter and know other information,” Steve said.

“But she’s an Avenger?”

“I’m not an Avenger,” Stella told Tony.

Tony turned to her. “You’re here with us now so you are.”

“De facto,” she pointed out.

“Still an Avenger.” Tony faced Steve. “But we need to know who’s working on the tesseract. Fury still has not given us the information. So, at least you can identify possible demigods before you...you know.” Tony gave Stella an empathetic look. She nodded, accepting what he said.

“Odin will not prosecute you for my brother’s death, Lady Lords,” Thor announced.

“Olympus will do it for Asgard,” she replied without a beat.

He walked to her. “I think Athena wouldn’t even let them do that to you. You’re the guardian and what happened was an accident.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Having this conversation was draining her. “It will happen, Thor. You don’t know Zeus.”

One by one the others left the lab, even Tony.

Thor’s shoulders dropped. “Aye. I don’t know how your father will react to that but I hope he will not sentence you for life imprisonment. I can testify for your innocence. I can talk to Athena. The realms need you.”

Stella stood up and looked up at him. “I wish I could be as optimistic as all of you.” She wrapped her arms around her. “Thor, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Her eyes started to become blurry with the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Stella.” Thor caught the first tear with a finger. “It’s not your fault. There is no need to apologize. I know what happened. I saw it. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I wielded the scepter, Thor. I stabbed your brother.”

Thor’s heart was pierced on her admission. “It was an accident.” He held her by her arms and looked her in the eyes. “Always remember that I don’t see it as your fault.” She still wasn’t buying it. Stella still thinks that it’s her fault, but for Thor and everyone else, she is innocent.

* * *

“ _Stella_.”

…

“ _Hold on, darling_.” 

Stella threw the blankets off her as she woke up in the middle of the night, tears flowing from her eyes. _It can’t be. He’s dead_.

She scanned her room in the dark but there was no sign of him. _I’m just dreaming, right?_

She then brought her knees to her chest and cried, letting the darkness of her room comfort her.

 _It’s just a hallucination_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thrive in the drama. (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	18. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella confronted Jericho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Ready, Let Go. by Keiko Necesario

### Chapter 16: Betrayal

The next day, Bruce and Natasha were outside Jericho’s holding cell when Stella entered. Natasha said a soft ‘hey’.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Stell?” Bruce asked as she put on her comms.

“I have to. I want to,” she said blankly, her heart starting to exhaust itself. “We don’t have time.”

“Natasha can do it. We already have the truth serum.”

She walked to the door and pressed her thumb on the biometric scanner. “I don’t want to use the truth serum. Use that when I’m gone.”

“Are you sure?” Bruce asked once again. Natasha was silent on the corner, observing everything.

“Yeah, I am.” She wasn’t. She was afraid and enraged. Afraid because of, well, the looming death or life sentence she was anticipating when she steps in Olympus and enraged because she will have to face Jericho. Stella composed herself before she entered the cell. Jericho sits in the middle of the room. He stood up when he saw her. Anger overflowed within her as she entered the room.

"Ah, sister. It's been so long." He spread arms like welcoming her into his house. He was wearing the cuffs Stella and Tony created - the cuffs that restrained magical energy. “You know I badly want to hug you but I guess you’ll kill me if I do and I want to catch up with you. It’s been years.”

"Jericho, how dare you," she said with spite. 

"How dare me?" He laughed. "No, you must understand the situation, Stella. I am doing this for the good of everyone."

“Listen to yourself, Castle. That’s not you. This is not what Athena taught us.”

“Ares taught me so much more than Athena. He told me that sometimes you have to start the fire and fight for what you want, and that’s why I’m with him.” He stopped 2 feet away from her. "We are paving the way to accommodate a greater society." His dark brown eyes flicked evilly to her.

"You sound like Hitler. And how exactly are you going to do that?" She crossed her arms on her chest. "How did Ares get to you? You know very well what he's capable of."

He shrugged as he sat on the edge of the desk. “Bumped into him one summer in Amalfi. Told me straight up he was Ares. Cool dude, I have to say.”

"Why does the son of Hermes work for Ares?" There was no time for jokes but Jericho just whistled a tune, actively annoying her. “Fine you won’t answer that? How about this: how did Ares enter Asgard? Is it through dark magic? How did he gain access to dark magic?”

Jericho threw his head back. “Can I at least get a lawyer?” He asked sarcastically.

“Don’t be such a diva Jericho. It doesn’t suit you.” She watched him shrug. “Since when were you working with Ares?”

“Ever since the world began, I guess.” She was getting frustrated albeit expecting Jericho’s demeanor. She already knew it would lead to this.

“Why? We fought side by side against Stheno.”

"Why did I join Ares? Uh, isn't it obvious?" He smiled slyly at her. "Ares wanted to send a message. Who else can do the job better than Hermes' son?”

“He could’ve just marched to me and told me his word.”

“Oh no.” He waved a finger at her. “Be careful what you wish for, Stella.”

“I handled Stheno just fine.”

“This is the god of war we’re talking about. The god of chaos, unlike Athena.” Jericho walked to the glass and stared at her. “I would pay to see that match. The children of Zeus fighting one another and that includes you.” Stella glared at him. “Iris didn’t want to join the cause so I saw an opportunity to become greater than who I was before."

“Iris wouldn’t do what you have done.”

“That’s why I did.” He stepped forward. “Athena said I was too brash and too much of a trickster to become a guardian so she chose you.” He held his hands on his back. “Now, look at you. The guardian who doesn’t have her pow- OOF!”

Stella back-slapped him.

Jericho staggered back and placed a hand on his cheek. “Yeah, I don’t think staying near you is a good idea.”

“Is that what this is? Working for someone who wants destruction? Who has the blood of the innocent on their hands because you weren’t chosen as the guardian? Are you doing this out of envy?” Stella sneered. “You could’ve worked for the greater good of the realms! We could be working together as brothers and sisters in arms, in Athena’s name.”

Jericho sized her up, closing the gap between them. “You don’t understand. Work for the greater good and be clouded by your shadow? Huh. No thanks. And besides, you might have forgotten the custom. There should only be one guardian.”

“Ï’m not here to listen to your rants and whines.”

“Now you tell me why Athena begged Asgard to spare his youngest prince. You know what he is.”

Stella straightened up, the tip of her nose almost touching his. “Don’t you dare drag the deceased into this conversation.”

He chuckled and moved back a little. “Athena asked a criminal to help you for the greater good? Is that it?” Stella clenched her fists. “You might have forgotten what he did in this city, Lords. He almost killed everyone in a day. And you accuse me of working with someone who wants destruction when you are deep into that!”

She could feel her ears heating up. “He was under the influence of when he invaded New York. He was used, a part of the grand scheme of things orchestrated by the unknown.”

Jericho guffawed. “That’s the most extra way of saying ‘he killed people.’ And how sure are you with that? Whether you like it or not he has, and let me quote you, ‘the blood of the innocent on his hands.’” He brought his hands behind him. “And it took one stab from the Greek guardian to end his life,” he jeered.

With all her might, Stella tackled Jericho to the ground, straddled on him, and threw a punch to his face, which he blocked with his hand and he shoved her whole body off him with the other.

Outside, Bruce grabbed Natasha’s arm. “Should we intervene?” He worriedly asked.

“I am not sure but I’ll be on standby in case,” Natasha answered as she slowly moved to the door.

Back inside, Stella landed gracefully on the floor and grabbed Jericho by the waist like a wrestler. Jericho thrust an upper-cut to her torso but she blocked it. With another shove he managed, Stella landed back first on the ground, Jericho choking her.

“You asked me a while ago if I did this out of envy, yes I did.” Stella tapped his arm. Jericho saw Natasha on the door and he smashed the cuffs they placed on him and a yellow beam struck the door, shutting the door with magic.

“Bruce.” Natasha tried all her fingers on the scanner. “Bruce! It won’t open!” She raised her wrist to her lips. “Hang on, Stella. I’m coming in.”

“I’m trying!” Bruce replied as he typed on the laptop. “I can’t! JARVIS! Override this door, please!”

Jericho laughed when he noticed Natasha and Bruce panicking outside. Stella banged her fist on his arm to let her go. “Ares told us he wanted the guardian dead. Looks like I’m the one who can accomplish the task.”

“Would...you want...to kill...your sister?” Stella muttered while choking.

Her words buried into Jericho as she saw his expression change into recognition. His face softened and made him remember his best friend. His childhood friend. 

Stella saw Jericho as she saw him before. Her Jericho Castle who would help her get away with all the trouble they would end up in back in Athens. Her big brother in Athena’s temple. Jericho loosened his grip on her neck.

Stella kicked Jericho on his groin that sent him reeling on the floor. She pushed him away from her but, because of her weakness, she couldn’t stand immediately. Jericho grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back to him.

“You think you can fully trick me, _sister_?” Jericho snarled the last word, sending chills through Stella’s spine. He wrapped his long, calloused fingers on her neck and pushed her to the floor, choking her again.

Despite Stella losing the ability to live after she found out she killed Loki, she wanted to survive this. She didn’t want to die choking. She frantically kicked Jericho off her, tears streaming down her face. With her anger mixed with anxiety, she started hitting Jericho on the chest until she felt an immense weight being lifted off her.

Jericho became airborne, engulfed with blue mist. She looked at her hands and blue vapors appeared. “JARVIS, what’s my energy level?” She asked. Her watch lit up and it showed her 80% but her healing capacity was down to 40%. _Just this time, Stell_ , she told herself and raised her hands to Jericho, and ropes of blue emerged and it wrapped around him.

“Let me go, Lords!”

Stella pulled him down to the chair. “No, I don’t think so.” The ropes broke from her hands and she pushed herself off the floor but she collapsed. She was exhausted. She crawled to the door, ignoring Jericho’s jeering, and placed her hand over the yellow sheet and her blue energy broke the enchantment like glass.

“You’re welcome,” he chided.

She turned to him as the door opened. “We’re not yet done, Castle.” Natasha came in and helped her up.

“What happened?” A dumbfounded Bruce asked when the door locked behind them. He grabbed a chair and Stella sank on it. 

“I have no idea.” She pressed the button on her watch. “It says my energy has increased to 80% but my healing capacity is down to 39%. Dammit.” She was chasing her breath.

“Okay, calm down,” Natasha said and passed a water bottle to her. “What was your energy stat before this?”

Stella wiped her lips with the back of her hand. “Line of 6.”

“I think your energy regenerated when you were under intense pressure.” Bruce pressed something on the laptop and a holoscreen appeared in front of him. “Your heart rate and blood pressure increased while you were there.” He pressed another button and it was images of a brain scan. “Your brain also emitted waves that depicted heavy stress.” Bruce typed something and the image changed into Stella’s nervous system. “As you can see, while you were being choked.” He pointed at something at the image, near her heart. “There was a buildup of energy in this area.”

Stella and Natasha looked at the image with awe. “That’s me?”

He nodded. “I thought of scanning you while you were there. The watch helped.”

“ _Where’s Stella?_ ” They heard Tony over their comms.

Stella raised her wrist to her mouth. “Yes? What’s up?”

“ _Faiza and I received a notification from your watch. Says there was a spike on your energy_.”

“Yeah, that’s what happened.” Bruce interrupted. “JARVIS, send the scan to Tony and Faiza.”

“Is there a way for her to heal faster?” Natasha asked Bruce.

“That I still have to consult Doctor Faiza,” he replied.

“ _How in the world did your energy jump from 60 to 80?_ ”

“JARVIS, send my initial interview footage to Tony,” Stella commanded the AI and it confirmed, saying that the footage has been sent.

Natasha leaned on the desk. “So if your energy showed up when you were in there, does that mean all you need to start up your energy is to be under immense pressure? Just like the Hulk?” Stella leaned on the chair’s backrest and drank some more water.

“ _You fought the prisoner?!_ ” Tony said.

“Yeah, she did,” Natasha replied with a smirk.

“ _Number one rule in the Avengers, don’t initiate a fistfight with the prisoner_.”

"Tony, that's bullshit," Natasha scoffed.

“I’m not an Avenger and we were talking about personal stuff,” Stella stated. She looked at Jericho through the monitor. “I can’t go back there now, can I?”

“I won’t let you,” Natasha said. “Let’s calm down for a bit before we continue the interrogation.” She bent and squinted. “Stella, you have bruises on your neck.”

Stella held her neck. She couldn’t feel any pain. “Leave it. It’ll just disappear in days.”

“You should get some rest. You look like you’re about to shut down in a while.” Bruce suggested.

Stella yawned as the idea settled in her head. “I guess I need a nap.” She stood.

“I’ll go with you.” Natasha moved and placed an arm across her back. “Call Steve.”

Bruce went back to face the laptop. “Will do. Tony?”

“ _On my way_.”

“What will they do?” Stella asked Natasha when the elevator doors closed.

“They’re going to transfer Jericho into a cell that negates his energy.” Natasha watched her hold onto the rails of the elevator like she was holding on to dear life. “How are you feeling?”

“I might crash as I hit the hay. Is there a way for Tony’s satellites to track the energy signatures of the tesseract?”

“I think so. I’ll ask him.”

“I might be doing that as soon as I wake up.”

The soft ping of the elevator told them that they have arrived on their floor. Natasha pulled Stella’s arm over her shoulder and they walked to Stella’s door. Stella thanked her and as she had predicted, she fell and instantly fell asleep, not even bothering to change. All she managed was to kick her shoes off.

* * *

Instead of waking up hours later, Stella woke up the next day. It was an eventful sleep, constantly hearing and seeing Loki as her memories with him flash in her dream. But her exhaustion prevented her from waking up. She sat on her bed and took a moment to sit in silence, facing the window.

It has been 4 days now and there are no signs of any Greek messenger showing up at the tower to warn her about what’s to come. It usually happens instantly and it’s her and Iris who does the job.

_Maybe I’m just fooling myself and it wouldn’t happen? Maybe it will happen but they’re still thinking of who will get me? Should I turn myself in?_

_Maybe it was an accident and they will do nothing about it. Maybe Thor’s right._

Then she started thinking of what could have happened if Loki didn’t die. She had admitted to herself that she had missed the snarky, sassy Loki she was working with. She missed seeing him roll his eyes whenever he’s annoyed. She chuckled as she remembered how they walked around the Persepolis, hand in hand, acting like a couple out on a vacation, though no one wears a suit when they go on a vacation.

She checked her band. Her energy has maintained 80%. For her healing capacity, fortunately, it increased to 50%. She wanted to test her energy, see if it’s still there because if she wouldn’t end up in prison, she might as well work on strengthening her energy.

After drinking coffee, she went down directly to the firing range at the bottom of the tower to let it all out. She decided to put herself under immense physical stress to make herself feel the spark inside. Once she got in the range, she walked to the computers and programmed the drones to fire at her. She stretched for almost 30 minutes and then attached the cuff that commands the drones. When she entered the arena, the drones hovered above her and red dots showed up on her body.

She started moving when the drones started firing rubber bullets. She dodged and flipped effortlessly. She would use her energy to stop the onslaught of bullets from a drone and toss them out of the way. Sometimes she would make the bullets explode mid-air. It still took great effort, she felt her arms and legs weaken and her chest tightens but she pushed herself.

At the 30th minute, a rubber bullet hit her on her left shoulder blade. “AH!” She fell on one knee and another rubber bullet hit her on her stab wound. “FUCK!” She hissed and slammed a hand on the cuff, stopping the onslaught of rubber bullets. She pressed her right hand over her stab wound, crying hot tears, her forehead flat on the rubberized floor.

“Oh my god, Stella!” It was from Tony. She felt a hand over her right hand and she was turned to lie on the floor. She saw Tony by her head and Bruce was pressing on her wound. “JARVIS told me you were down here and hurt and you programmed the drones to hit you?!” Tony barked. Stella chuckled through her tears. “Are Greeks sadists?”

Bruce gently removed her hand from the wound. “Oh, okay. Excuse me.” Tony stood up to turn his back from her when he noticed what Bruce was trying to do. Tony decided to go to the computer to disable Stella’s command.

“What did we tell you? You can’t do any strenuous physical activity while it’s not yet completely healed.” Bruce peeled off the bandage pad and Stella hissed. “Good for you it didn’t open but a bruise is starting.” Then he placed a pad that cooled the wound and pulled her shirt down. “Can you stand?”

Stella wiped the tears from her face and pushed herself off the floor. He helped her up. When she stood straight, she felt the numb pain throbbing. “It’s numb but I think I can handle it.”

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” Tony stormed back to the arena.

“Tony…” Bruce held out a hand to him, an attempt to calm the billionaire down.

Tony ran a hand on his already red face. “Do you have a death wish?”

“You know I do.”

“Dammit. Is that why you programmed all the drones to attack you? Even turned the berserk mode on!” Tony spread his arms, worry, anxiety, and anger already blazing inside him like a molotov cocktail.

“What’s a berserk mode?” Bruce asked.

“It’s when you activate the drones to shoot real bullets.”

Stella recovered from her shock of being hit on her stab wound and Tony barreling in the arena when she started to explain. “I did that because it’s the only way for my power to show up. I need to be attacked.”

Tony blinked. “You what?!”

“I am not even sure if it’s effective. I just wanted to try it out.”

“You could’ve killed yourself!”

She shrugged. “I’m not dead.” Tony face-palmed and Bruce just chuckled, amused by the whole situation. Stella’s reply reminded him of how Tony usually replies to questions and concerns about his well being. “I just thought my powers would be like the Hulk. Showing up when I’m under immense physical stress.”

“Yeah, that was our hypothesis yesterday after her energy threw Jericho,” Bruce informed Tony.

Tony glanced from Bruce to Stella. “Physical stress, huh.” Tony turned his back on them and walked to the arena door. He turned his cuff and his iron gauntlet appeared on his hand. “Then parry this, you casual!” He whipped on his heels and fired at her.

“What?!” Stella’s eyes widened and she shoved Bruce out of the way, then she shielded her face with her right arm while her left arm extended to the blast. She then felt energy explode on her, expecting death.

“Tony, What the hell’s wrong with you?!” It was Bruce’s turn to shout, his neck starting to go green.

Tony took a step back as Bruce stomped towards him. “Okay, calm down, Big Guy. No need to show up right now.” Tony pointed a finger at Stella. Bruce flipped his head to her and his skin on his neck went back to normal.

Stella was covered in a blue bubble and Tony’s blast was also covered in blue, held by the invisible energy coming from Stella’s extended left hand. Her eyes were still closed. Tony smirked and released a sigh. Bruce laughed.

“Good thing it worked,” Tony said.

“Faiza will kill you if she finds out,” Bruce said before he approached Stella and called her. “You’re still alive, Stell.”

She opened her eyes and saw that she was enveloped in blue. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh…” She looked up and her jaw dropped when she realized Tony’s blast was still airborne. “Oh my gosh!” Her force shield disappeared and she made the blast dissolve into her energy. She gazed at her hands, giggling like a 5-year old who was just given a bag of candy. She checked her band and her energy went up by 85%. Her healing capacity was surprisingly maintained at 50%. “It’s back!” She told the men and then zeroed in on Tony. “Do it again.”

Tony furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. “Yeah, you really fit this team. Stubborn.” Tony sent another blast to her and she expertly caught it with her magic, making it disappear in thin air.

She jumped around and squealed in delight, clapping as she hopped past a smiling Bruce and hugged Tony, who took a step back when she crashed into him. “Thank you!”

His eyes went down to her. It was a complete flip on her mood. “Uh, you’re welcome.” He awkwardly patted her back. Deep inside, he was happy to see her smile.

She released him and approached Bruce, clapping his arm. “Thank you too, Doc.”

Bruce patted her back. “No problem with that.” He grinned.

“Now I know that I can disintegrate photon blasts, all I need to know if I can deflect other kinds of magic thrown on me,” she told them.

“Are you thinking of sparring with Jericho again?” Tony asked.

Her lips twitched upward in amusement. “Not really. I was thinking of Loki but he’s dead.” The men looked at each other, Bruce frowned. “But, why not? In a controlled environment?”

“No.” Tony protested. “I won’t let you do that.”

She giggled. “Calm down, I have no plans.”

“Come on, now.” Tony led them outside and he started talking about interrogating Jericho. Stella went to the changing area to return the cuffs. “At least she’s happy,” Tony told Bruce when she was out of earshot.

She nodded and followed them when Tony glanced over his shoulder but all she was thinking...hoping that Loki should’ve been here to help her test her energy and pushing it to the limits. The looming dread of her life sentence disappeared when her energy reappeared. 

The three of them entered the elevator and she leaned back to the wall, staring at the LED panel by the door and thinking of how Loki talks, how he smiles, how he says her name, how he smelled of pine with a hint of mint, how he wrapped his arms around her when they were in Athens.

She closed her eyes when her thoughts lingered on it and bit her inner cheek when she started to feel the heat in her core, imagining Loki before her, imagining Loki’s lips on hers. Her thoughts ended when the elevator beeped to her floor. She dropped her head. It’s useless to think of these things when he’s dead.

* * *

After changing, Stella headed down to the room where they transferred Jericho. She pressed her thumb on the scanner and the door opened. She entered, pulled a chair into the middle of her space, and sat.

There was a glass between her and Jericho. It was one-way glass. She was the only one who could see him. He was sitting on his chair, slumped and legs spread apart.

“I know you’re out there, Lords.”

He was not supposed to know.

Stella walked to the control panels and with a press of a button, the glass revealed her to him. “How did you know? You were not supposed to see beyond the glass.”

Jericho ambled to the glass. “You are forgetting something. We have been partners for years that we have learned to pick up minute signals emitting from each other. Even after all these years of us being separated, I can still pick up yours. Can’t you feel me?” Stella just looked at him, unsure of the situation for the first time. “You don’t seem mad, unlike yesterday. You were fuming,” he mused. “What changed?”

“I’m still mad,” she replied in a steady voice. “I can’t believe all of these, Jericho. Of all people, it’s you. I knew you could play both sides but I have never imagined you to turn your back from Athena and the oath we have sworn.”

“Stop.” He raised a hand. “Stop right there. I have sworn no oath. It was just you.”

“Are you telling me you fooled Athena into thinking you are still working for her?”

“It was Athena’s mistake, you see. She hasn’t seen it coming.” Tears fell from Stella’s eyes. She still couldn’t believe her best friend had turned to the dark side. “Ares needed a messenger, so he sought out for me. He already knew how Athena trained me and he took me in, said it would be a waste of my abilities if I were not to be part of his army. He told me I was born to command, like every other child he has.” Stella wiped her eyes. “Oh, sister. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he mocked.

“Damn you to hell, Jericho!” She sneered. “I trusted you!”

“And how is that my fault? Did I ask you to trust me? I didn’t. Now -” he held his hands behind him - “you have to be careful. Loki is just like me and my father.”

She flicked her eyes to him. “He’s dead.”

“Oh yeah, you killed him. Forgot about that. Sorry,” he said nonchalantly, tilting his head. “I just don’t get it. Why would Athena ask Asgard to let you work for their trickster god? If Athena wanted someone like that why didn’t she ask me?!” Jericho exclaimed.

“If you didn’t betray us you would be here and Loki would’ve been alive!” Stella’s chest hurt so badly she wanted to fall on her knees and cry everything out. If Loki was here she would ask him to put her in an illusion to mask her tears.

If Loki was here she wouldn’t be this distraught.

She huffed and wiped the tears. “Where is Ares?”

Jericho spread his arms. “He’s everywhere. He has eyes and ears everywhere.” He smirked. “You know what he told me? If you weren’t the guardian, he would make you work for him. He knows what you’re capable of.”

“Is that what you’re here for?”

“I thought I was here to spite you?”

Her eyes lowered as she realized. “The scepter.”

He grinned. “Smart girl.”

Stella’s lips parted but she shut it right away. “What do you know about the scepter?” She asked with a hint of urgency.

Jericho walked closer to the glass and stopped when he was just a few inches from it. “I know a sizable amount, enough to know how to use it.”

Stella pressed a button on the panel and the glass frosted. She took deep breaths as she tried to process everything. She could hear Jericho chuckling behind the glass. Jericho was saying something but she couldn’t focus. She left the room and walked aimlessly at the corridor, trying to figure out who to talk to.

She stopped at the end of the hall, where the windows show the Manhattan skyline. “JARVIS, where’s Natasha? Or Thor?”

“Agent Romanoff is in the SHIELD headquarters. Mr. Odinson, on the other hand, is in the training room. Shall I inform him that you are looking for him?”

“No! No. I think it’s a bad idea. He’s impulsive.” Stella paced the length of the window. “Anyone else in this tower?”

“Mr. Stark is in his armory and is not to be disturbed.”

“Oh boy…”

“Mr. Stark asked what is up.”

Stella looked up. “Did you tell him I was looking for him?”

“Yes, because you seemed agitated.”

She stopped pacing. “Ask him if I can see him just for a sec.”

“He saw to meet him on the 12th floor.”

“Alright!” Stella ran to the elevator and pressed 12. She couldn’t stop tapping her foot while she waited. As soon as the doors opened she dashed out of the elevator, scanning the place to see if anyone else was in there. Seeing that she’s alone, she headed to the bar and poured herself a glass of white wine.

She was on her second glass when the elevator pinged, telling her Tony had arrived. “So, what’s up? JARVIS told me you were quite nervous and -” Tony stopped in his tracks - “are we here for a drink?”

“I need it.” She finished her second glass.

Tony continued moving to where she was and placed his palms flat on the counter across her. “So, what’s up? JARVIS told me you talked to the prisoner.”

“He’s here for me.”

He blinked. “What do you mean?” He raised a finger as if pointing at someone. “He’s here to bring you to Olympus? Isn’t that framing you?”

She shook her head. “He’s commanded to steal the scepter and use it to turn me.”

Tony folded his arms on his chest and scratched his chin. “Huh. Okay.” He sighed, thinking. “But he wouldn’t get away from his cell now. His half of the room has enough electromagnetic energy to stop him from using his energy.” The elevator pinged and they both turned to it.

Bruce appeared on the floor. “Hey Tony, Stella. JARVIS told me you were here.” He paused. “Is there anything wrong?”

Tony and Stella looked at each other. “So, are we telling him?” Tony asked.

“Tell me what?”

“Jericho was here to use the scepter on me and make me work for them,” Stella explained as Bruce approached them.

“But the scepter’s locked up now. No one can have it.” Bruce told them.

“Yeah. It’s safe.” Tony assured her.

“Remember you guys told me when Loki had the scepter, he asked Clint to recruit SHIELD agents and scientists to work for him? I was wondering if Ares knew how the scepter works, then someone from that group from 2012 is now working for Ares.” Stella proposed.

“I can get the list of the people who worked on that project.” Tony offered.

“Aren’t they fired?” Bruce asked.

He went to the drinks shelf and picked up a bottle of scotch. “Fury fired everyone who was involved in that scandal. Turns out there were non-SHIELD agents who were also involved, engineers, and scientists from different private companies. People from that group knew how it works,” he said as he poured himself a drink.

“Yeah. I agree. But this person, or persons, might be a demigod. I don’t think he has mortals working for him. I don’t know yet.” She shifted on her seat. “If only Loki is here to tell us everything about the scepter, that would have been great.” She felt a pang of guilt inside. Bruce patted her at the back.

“It’s not your fault, Stell,” Tony reassured her.

She bit her lip. “It’s...I...I was close to…” She took a deep breath. “Never mind. No use of thinking about what could’ve happened. It’s all on us now.”

Tony wanted to ask her if she’s still thinking of her impending prosecution but he held himself back. “Nat said you asked if it’s possible to scan the whole world for the tesseract’s energy?”

Stella’s attention was back on the case. “Yeah. Is it possible?”

“It is, but it will take time. I haven’t tried doing that yet. If we will do that we need to do the scan per region.”

“But it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Bruce said. Stella was biting her nail as they spoke, thinking.

Tony pursed his lips. “It is. Though I need to back up the energy source of the building. The scan per region might take a whole day or more.”

“It might drain your resources,” she commented.

“Oh, come on. Money isn’t an issue here. I’m not saying this can’t be done. It can be done. It just takes time.”

“I don’t.”

Tony sat on the barstool across Stella. “You’re still thinking about that, aren’t you?” She didn’t reply. “You know what we talked about when you told us that you have a fear that Olympus might prosecute you? We decided that we would talk to Athena if that time comes.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” She sighed in disbelief.

“No, kid. We aren’t. It might sound insane but the world is crazier every minute. There were three gods in this tower. Bruce here -” he placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder - “is the Hulk. Steve is a hundred years old but still looking younger than me. I probably need to try that cryofreeze sometime.” Stella smirked. “What I’m saying is, why don’t we give it a try? We have an immortal on our side. Thor told us Athena and Asgard are working together to protect the realms. They need you. We need you.”

Tony’s words were enough to bring back the tears. Bruce extracted his handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Stella. She wiped her tears and grasped it. “You guys have to stop making me cry.” Tony snickered and Bruce raised an eyebrow at him. “I swear, it’s not helpful.” Bruce tilted his head as if telling Tony ‘ _see? Just don’t_.’

“Well, that is if it happens. If they will really arrive and chain you up.” Tony gestured on the air. “But I think it won’t happen.”

“I don’t want to go against everything. I don’t want to go against you. I don’t want to be Ares’ puppet.” Tony’s throat moved, the emotions caught up on his throat as she spoke. Stella was scared and no assurance could calm her down. Maybe the only peace she could want at this time was a cell in Olympus. She brought her palms together and heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. There are just too many things running in my head.” She dropped her hands.

“It happens.” Bruce nodded.

Tony also nodded. “So, would you want to see how we’re going to do the scans?”

* * *

Stella retreated to her room after her long day. She closed the door and didn’t even bother turning on the lights since the full moon was bright enough to illuminate the room. She kicked her sneakers off and left it by the door. She walked to her bed and settled on the floor at the side of the bed, facing the windows. Her thoughts went back to Loki as she traced the glowing veins of Manhattan. She was thinking of him since yesterday and she was hating herself for it. Her nights were even worse since she could hear his voice and feel his touch in her dreams - or that’s what she thought.

“Ugh, stop!” She wanted to punch something. She stood up and picked up her pillow. “Stop this right now, Lords!” She smashed her pillow on the bed as she said each word. She tossed her pillow at the last word and let herself fall, back first on the bed.

“Missed me, Stella?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, kudos and your thoughts in the comments are appreciated! (^_^)v
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! (◠‿◠✿)


	19. Slow Grenade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Hallucinations by PVRIS

### Chapter 17: Slow Grenade

She jumped at the voice, the Aresian dagger appearing in her hand. She scanned the room, dagger extended, anticipating an attack.

“You don’t need to arm yourself. It’s just me.”

Stella gasped. She scanned the room until she locked on a familiar, dark, tall figure in the corner. “Jarvis, turn on the lights.” The room lit up. “No...no way.” Loki, donned in his leather Asgardian ensemble, approached her. “No! Stay right there!” She raised her dagger to Loki. Her free hand glowed blue and a blue mist filled the room.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re not real. Fuck, this is a bad joke. What the hell,” she muttered as she waited for a residue of yellow Aresian magic to be highlighted. When her blue mist rested on Loki, it showed nothing.

Stella’s eyes narrowed. “Who sent you, huh? Why don’t you have Loki’s magical residue or any residue at all?” She was still raising her dagger.

“Stella, calm down. It’s just me.” Loki said in a calm, comforting voice. The same voice that she heard when she was high on drugs when they were in Athens.

“Shut up! You’re not real. I killed Loki.”

He frowned. “You didn’t. That’s why I’m here.”

“No! He’s dead! And whoever you are, you better spare yourself because I won’t.” A blue film engulfed her body and her casual clothes were replaced by her weathered gold armor and white garments. Her two swords were attached to her back. Her hair was up in a braided bun. Oh, how she missed having this transformation.

Loki was impressed to discover that her energy has returned. He can’t help but feel elated. “I just returned from the dead and now you’re sending me back?” Loki sighed. “That was not the reply I was expecting.”

She sent a soft beam of blue to Loki but it just dissipated. She brought her hands to her gaping mouth.

“Was that your illusion breaker?”

“You-you can’t be real,” she said, her eyes wide.

Loki moved to her and held her arm. She flinched at his touch. “Stella, you have to beli-”

“You -” Stella slapped him hard, hitting his cheek.

“Ow,” he said. A mortal slapping him wasn’t painful at all but this took him off guard.

“I KILLED YOU! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!” She lost color on her face.

He gave her an apologetic smile. “I was, but now I’m here.”

“No! This can’t be real! I stabbed you!” Her eyes scanned Loki. “Are you even real?!” She was keeping her distance from him, curling into herself. She took deep breaths as she felt her heart racing.

“Stell, calm down. I’m as real as you can get. And you already slapped me, that should give you the answer,” he softly said. He walked closer to her and extended a hand. His fingers lightly brushed on her tensed hand.

“I stabbed you with the scepter! This can’t be real!” They locked eyes. Stella’s brown eyes were wide in horror while Loki’s greens were soft but it was more than that, something she couldn’t describe in a word - it was like a mother trying to calm her child, but more than that. And it dawned on her: he looked like an old lover asking for a second chance. “No,” she said more to herself. She backed away from him again. “This can’t be real. Don’t touch me.”

He moved closer to her and held her tenderly by the arm. She froze, lips trembling. “Stella, my dear. I’m alive. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“How are you alive?” She ran her hands on his black and green leather top. “I stabbed you here.” She poked his side.

“You didn’t.”

She broke away from him. “I did. You died in front of us. It was in the footage.”

“It was my illusion you stabbed.”

Stella staggered back and fell on the couch. “Your what?! How?!”

“I had to.” He sat beside her but kept the distance between them.

“Why would you do that?” She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “I was so scared, I thought Odin or Thor would kill me.”

He chuckled sadly. “Don’t believe they would avenge my death. They won’t.”

She turned to him. “Oh, they would, trust me. If not Asgard, I would be in Olympus, imprisoned for life.”

“If you still won’t believe me -” he opened his palm and conjured a vial with dark red liquid from his subspace - “Athena found out you were worried about being imprisoned. She said it wouldn’t happen because I’m very well alive. And she knew how injured you were and she wanted me to give you this.”

She stared at the vial in disbelief. “You talked to Athena?” She picked up the vial and saw the inscription etched on the vial. It was from Athena. “Where were you during all these weeks?”

He sighed and shifted on his seat. “I had to take care of other...business.” Stella was still studying the vial. “That’s to speed up your healing.”

There were tons of questions racing through her head, and she couldn’t organize her thoughts. “Where did you go when your illusion replaced you?” She blurted out.

“I can’t declare my secrets, little one.”

She glanced. “You could’ve just told us that you were coming back.”

“I have told you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I did. I was in your head, sending messages.”

Her brows furrowed, then she raised them when she realized. “No. No way.” She felt her ears heat up. “You were sending messages through my dreams?”

He nodded. “And you were trying to shut everything out.”

Stella slapped her forehead, embarrassed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Did...did you see everything?” Loki didn’t need to say something, it was all written on his face. Stella stood up and faced the window. “No. Just...no.”

 _Loki MUST be kidding_ , she thought. She had various thoughts about her current situation while he was gone. In her dreams, she had been reminiscing on their moments together, even though they were platonic. But at one point, she has explored what could have been, wondering if he didn’t die, could they go beyond that platonic relationship they had? At one point too, she had realized that she liked him when she remembered the time Loki and Thor entered her office back in Kalambaka. She remembered how she couldn’t look straight at him without feeling warm inside.

Loki watched her as she crossed her arms on her chest and started nibbling on her thumb. He turned and folded his leg on the couch. He was not physically in the tower, but he saw her. He knew what she was doing. Since her necklace had his seiðr, it became his connection to her. He felt quite guilty doing it without her knowledge but it had to be done. He didn’t want her to know where he was and what he was doing while he was supposedly dead. It would put her under a greater danger’s radar.

He did not see everything but he saw parts. Whenever her dreams would turn intimate, he would cut the connection. Some nights he would hear her whispering his name in her sleep. As much as he wanted to stay in her room undetected, he decided against it, respecting her privacy. Though he badly wanted to know why she was thinking about those things and why she was calling him. The more he lingered, trying to send a message to her, the more his emotions about her became confusing. He didn’t want to be emotionally attached but...he wanted to hold Stella in his arms. He wanted to understand why she thinks of him like that and why he feels like this for her. Those weeks of being alone and jumping from one realm to another have not cleared his head and his feelings about Stella. The more he resisted, the more he saw her in his head.

He placed his arm on the backrest of the couch, his skin yearning to touch her.

_Is this what love feels like?_

“If it gives you comfort, I have not seen everything.”

 _He can lie_ , Stella thought. _He is the god of lies. He can say anything. He must have seen everything_. Her hand started to shake; she started wringing her hands.

Her thoughts diffused when Loki said her name in a low voice and held her arms, gently pulling her closer to him so her back was resting on his chest. He felt that she was tense so he rubbed her arms, trying to give her relief. But she moved away from him.

“You have to believe me on this,” he softly said.

She faced him. “You’re scaring the shit out of me. I thought I'd lost you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to lose me?”

Stella swallowed. “Uh...you’re my responsibility. I should make sure nothing happens to you.”

“I don’t need to be looked after, Lords. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.” He replied rather pleasantly, unusual for a snarky god of mischief. “Besides you don’t sound like you’re freaking out because it’s your responsibility to keep me alive.”

She cleared her throat. “Look. You were not supposed to be dead in the first place, alright?” She said in an authoritative tone.

“I am not.” He said amusingly.

“Right. I want to keep it that way.” She moved to her little pantry to get herself a glass of water.

“Everyone wants me dead, you know. Everyone in Asgard and Midgard. Everyone in all the Nine Realms, I suppose. I’m surprised someone doesn’t want me dead and that someone is you.” He mused. “Why?”

She finished her water and set her eyes on him. Loki’s brows were furrowed in concern, but the corners of his lips curved a little upwards. “Because…” She really missed seeing him. “This isn’t just about you. It’s about what’s best for us.”

He followed her but kept a respectable distance. “Keeping me alive is best for us?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Athena trusts you and told me that you can help the realms figure this out.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Athena trusts you so I do too.”

“Regardless of what Athena says.”

She glanced at him. “Yeah, I do. You saved me.”

“Regardless of me saving you.”

“Yeah.”

Loki mentally raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t lying. He walked closer to her. “The things you said after Athens. Did you mean them?”

She looked him in the eyes. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

Loki’s lips parted. He still couldn’t believe the fact that Stella chose to trust him, trust him with her life. She wanted them to be friends. Then he saw more in her dreams, though it was unintentional. She wanted them to be more than friends.

His hand had a mind of its own, slowly rising until he cupped Stella’s cheek. She swallowed, looking at his hand, then up to his face. Stella’s soft, pinkish lips slightly parted. She was anticipating what he would do. He slowly bent closer to her. His heart started to flutter to his throat. He wanted a kiss...and more.

There was a rapid knocking at the door. “Stella!” They heard Thor’s voice booming through the door.

Stella’s head whipped to the door. She left Loki silently cursing his brother. “Yes, Thor?” She asked once she opened.

“Heimdall told me Loki is back, alive,” Thor said.

“Yes, I am, brother.” Loki sternly said behind her.

“Thank the gods.” Thor pushed the door and Stella let him pass.

Loki walked back. “Oh no. No, you’re not doing that.” Thor dropped his Mjölnir and embraced Loki. “You’re...squishing...me…”

Thor released Loki after a while and his hand rested at the crook of his neck. “I am so glad to have you back, brother. Everyone thought you were dead.” He beamed.

Loki dropped his shoulders. “Damn, I forgot to cast the concealing charm on me.”

“It doesn’t matter, brother. You are back.”

Stella was leaning on the door frame, enjoying the reunion of the brothers. Though her heart was not still after what Loki had attempted to do.

Thor turned to Stella. “Lady Lords.” Stella looked up at him. “Do you know what this means?”

“Uh, no.”

Thor approached her and patted her arm. “This means your fears of being imprisoned in life is over.” Behind Thor, Loki’s face shifted. _If only it was that easy_ , he thought. “I told you about this. You didn’t have to worry about it.” Thor continued.

“You knew he was coming back?”

“No. But that’s the third time he did it.” Thor gestured to Loki, who smirked proudly, then left Stella’s room.

Stella turned to Loki. “I would go crazy if I had a sibling who does that.”

“Welcome to my life,” Thor said over his shoulders as he walked the corridor.

Loki strutted to Stella and cleared his throat. “So, where were we?”

“Uh…”

“What happened while I was gone, by the way?” Thor returned, bringing a bottle of beer from their floor’s common room pantry. Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. He should’ve left the concealment charm on. “While we were away, I mean,” he corrected himself.

Stella joined Thor in the corridor. “You didn’t miss much. As for you.” She turned to Loki, who closed her bedroom door as he went out. “You missed a lot.”  
“I am aware,” he replied.

Thor finally noticed that Stella was wearing her armor. “I see that you can transform into your suit.”

They all walked to the common area and sat on the couches. Stella and Loki sat on each end of one couch, Thor was in front of them. “I finally regained my energy, and Loki was so kind as to bring back a vial of healing potion from Athena.”

“You have talked to Athena?” Thor asked Loki, surprised.

“Yes. Among others.”

“Have you talked to the demigod?” Thor asked Stella.

“I have, but it never ended as we wanted to. I might let Natasha do the next round of interrogation,” she replied.

“Is this the demigod who you fought?” Loki asked her and she nodded. “Do you know him?”

“Unfortunately, I know him too well.” Stella pulled her issued Stark phone from her pocket, made a few presses, and a hologram materialized in front of her. She placed the phone on the coffee table and waved her hand. Jericho’s file went up. “This is Jericho Castle. I’ve known him for almost my whole life.” Loki clenched his jaw, a pang of irrational jealousy hitting him on the chest. “He is Hermes' son and Athena trained us both. But he’s not like me, who can conjure magic through my hands. Though he can survive crossing the Earthrealm and the underworld, making him a great asset. He’s like you, just without the magic.”

“Hermes, I know him.” Loki scrunched his forehead. “What do you mean? He’s a trickster like his father?”

She nodded. “He was only born with the abilities and the body of a warrior. He wasn’t born with magic. I believe he had gained his sorcery the way Ares gained his: through ancient dark magic.”

Thor and Loki took a moment of silence to think about what she had told them. Then, "Were you born with magic?" asked Loki.

"Yeah. The energy from Zeus' lightning bolts but it's not as strong or as powerful as his. Athena chooses the demigods she trains, and that’s how we both ended up in her temple.”

“Mr. Odinson, Doctor Banner is looking for you.” JARVIS interrupted.

“Is that you or me?” Thor asked Loki.

“Mr. Thor Odinson, sir.” The AI said.

“Alright.” Thor stood up and finished his beer. “I’ll see you two later.” He threw the bottle into the bin and headed to the elevator. When the doors closed, Stella used her energy to change into her casual clothes: a black, loose shirt, front tucked to her dark blue, straight cut denim, and white sneakers. She kept her braided bun though.

“Uh. So…” Loki muttered.

Stella brought a folded leg up to the couch and faced Loki. Loki did the same. The adrenaline rush was slowing down and she yawned. The moon was already up. She turned her body to the window and stared at the city below them.

Loki wanted to hold her. He wanted to wrap his hands around her. When he was gone, he realized that he missed her. That’s why he started sending messages to her through her dreams.

Stella was feeling a little awkward. “You were born with magic, right?” She asked, an attempt to shake off the awkwardness. He confirmed. “Who taught you?” Loki placed a hand on the backrest of the couch and told her that his mother taught him. She smiled at him. “She was a good woman, Loki.”

“You met her?”

"Yeah. Some times."

Loki turned to the city, trying to suppress the pain he felt inside his chest as he remembered that day. "I was in the dungeons when she died. I could've protected her if I wasn't in there."

She caressed her thumb on his fist and he looked at their hands. “We can’t turn back time now. There’s only one way to go and that’s forward. Things happened before. It’s up to us now to forgive ourselves and live for them."

Loki clenched his jaw. _If only it’s that easy to forgive and forget_. He looked at their hands then to Stella. Her eyes were brimming with hope. He held her hand in his. It seems that having Stella makes the world so much better for him.

"Your mother has passed away as well?" 

"Yeah. But she died of natural causes. Cancer when I was 13." She looked away, stared at nothing in particular outside the window. "She was an amazing woman." She replied thickly. “I miss her sometimes.” She smiled sadly. “Oh yeah, the vial.”

Loki has forgotten about that, like the fact that he had attempted to kiss her before Thor interrupted. “Yes. You have to take that. But your sister said you have to take it before you sleep because that makes you drowsy.”

She nodded and slowly slipped her hand from his to fix her shirt. “It’s already nighttime, you want to get something to eat for dinner? You know, go outside, walk around for a bit, feel the night breeze.” She stood up. “Just have a nice, peaceful evening since you’re back and it seems that I won’t be imprisoned for a lifetime in Olympus.”

Loki followed her, changing into a dark blue button-up shirt with sleeves folded up to his elbows, black jeans, and a pair of dark brown chukkas. “Will you ask Thor or the others to join us?”

“Would you want him to?”

He smirked. “No.” She chuckled. “Or we can go to Athens and have those gyros that we failed to get when we were there.” He suggested when they walked to the elevator.

“That’s a great idea but I don’t think I still have the energy to go around Athens. I’d like to crash after dinner.” She pressed the button and the door closed. She leaned on the corner of the car, still thinking of Loki’s failed attempt to kiss her. That was one of the reasons why she wanted to get out of the tower with Loki. Maybe it would finally happen.

Loki was also at the other corner of the elevator, thinking of the same thing. He stood straight and moved closer to face her. She looked up and as he bent down -

The elevator pinged. They jerked at the sound and Loki moved to press his back on the elevator wall. The doors opened and two women bearing Stark Industries ID entered. They blushed when they noticed the tall, enigmatic god with them. Loki noticed and he smirked. He knew how charming he could be and people would forget that he almost obliterated New York in a day.

Stella noticed and she felt her heart drop. A few minutes ago Loki attempted to kiss her twice and now he’s flirting again with these women? _The audacity_ …

Stella sighed when the women scrambled out of the elevator when they arrived on the ground floor. “Where to?” He asked as they exited the tower.

“What do you want? Pizza, Korean, Japanese, Italian, American -”

“Why do mortals have too many choices?”

“To break the monotony. So? What interests you?”

“Japanese sounds interesting.”

“Good choice.”

Stella led them to the nearest Japanese restaurant - her favorite one since she first tried it. When they checked the menu, Loki didn’t know what to get. She noticed how his brows furrowed and started to ask what he wanted to eat. A few more questions later and she suggested he should get tonkatsu, which he did. Stella decided on tsukemen.

After dinner, Stella was feeling really sleepy. “We should go back to the tower now. You look like you’re going to crash in any second from now,” he suggested.

She giggled. “Yeah. Good idea.”

“You want us to translocate to the tower?”

“No. I want to walk.”

On the way up they were quiet. Stella kept on shifting on her feet while they were in the elevator. Loki noticed but he tried to act like he didn’t. The elevator ride seemed longer than it normally was. _Or maybe because I was expecting something? _She thought. Then she forced herself to forget the idea. _It’s not happening_. Her thoughts made her want to throw up.__

__The doors opened to their dimly-lit floor. They went out one after the other. “So, yeah. Thanks for finally showing up and ending my fears of being imprisoned for life,” she said lightly as they walked to their doors._ _

__He stopped on his door. “I hope it would be as easy as that for me,” he replied._ _

__Stella turned to him. “I guarantee you the same will happen. I made sure Odin will not do that.”_ _

__He chuckled sadly. “He does not listen to anyone.”_ _

__“If he didn’t, you would actually be back in prison right now and not working on this case.” He looked at her, his hand on the knob of his door. He could see her small smile even though it was dim. “Remember when I said I would’ve let Odin do what he wanted to do to you?” Stella watched Loki release the knob and padded to her. “Remember what I told you before? I don’t see you as to how others perceive you to be, Loki.” Stella said when he stopped in front of her._ _

__He took a deep breath and held her face. She sucked her breath and he felt her cheek warming. “Stella, I…” She held his hand and stroked it with her thumb. “Stella, I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He dropped his hand that she was not holding, and picked up the crystal that was hanging on her neck. “It was a protection charm that I placed on this. I did that after your energy disappeared, after our encounter with the twins. Though I also used this to connect to you while I was away.” Stella removed her hand from his and held the crystal. Loki removed his other hand from her face. His eyes went up to meet hers. “You weren’t wearing this when the demigod choked you?”_ _

__“No. I was afraid it might get destroyed.”_ _

__Loki released the crystal and kept his arms to his sides. “Don’t forget to wear it next time, just to make sure.”_ _

__Stella felt her heart drop and her hand reached out for the knob of her room. “I have my energy back.”_ _

__Loki started to back away. “Still.”_ _

__“Okay.” She turned the knob of her room. “Thanks for accompanying me to dinner.” She couldn’t look him in the eyes. She then pushed her door._ _

__“And, Stella?” She peeked out from her door. Loki has his hand on the knob of his door. He looked at her, opened his mouth, and closed it again. “I…”_ _

__“You...?”_ _

__“Uh…” He hated himself right now. His thoughts were giving him a headache. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”_ _

__Stella smiled politely and said good night. She locked the door behind her, turned on the lights, and leaned on the wall. She ran a hand on her face. “What the hell’s happening?!” She whispered to herself._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, LOKI IS BACK! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆ You guys can breathe ~~for~~ now.
> 
> On the other hand, you might notice that I have been using song titles as chapter titles (The Killing Kind was by Alex Vargas, Slow Grenade is by Ellie Goulding). I ran out of chapter title ideas. (ノ*°▽°*) Let me know what you think!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! (＠＾◡＾)


	20. Stella and the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Stella are wallowing in their emotions. Natasha got the best seat in the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: You and I by PVRIS and Slow Grenade by Ellie Goulding ft. Lauv

### Chapter 18: Stella and the Storm

Stella picked up the vial that was sitting in the middle of her couch. She kicked her shoes off her feet as she settled on the couch. She asked JARVIS to turn off the lights in her room. She then hugged her knees to her chest as she rolled the vial in her hand.

Her stomach felt like a storm in the middle of the ocean. Loki attempted to kiss her twice but he didn’t do it the third time he had a chance. She thought, _maybe it really won’t happen_. They say the third time’s a charm but he didn’t make a third attempt. She concluded it was all for nothing, that it was just Loki being the god of mischief. She rested her chin on her knees. 

She kept telling herself to stop feeling in a certain way for him, her mind waging war against her heart. She closed her eyes and buried her face into the crook of her elbow. As she did, she then saw snippets of when Loki was gentle to her. Kalambaka, Athens, here in New York. She saw the smiles and the softness in his eyes that anyone barely saw. She remembered how Loki was surprised and seemed to be impressed when she glanced at him back on Asgard. She groaned.

“Shut up, Stella. Stop this madness.”

Since she started working as a detective on top of being a guardian, she swore off dating. She thought it was going to be bothersome. She wanted to concentrate on protecting the realms. Also, if there was someone in her life, they would be in danger, especially if they are mortal.

But Loki was no mortal. He was a god, even. Did her mom have this dilemma when she found out she was dating Zeus? Or did Zeus impregnate her mom like what they said he did back in the ancient times? She shuddered. _No, I don’t think so_. Her thoughts were going in different directions when Loki was supposedly dead. Now she can’t think of those thoughts, it would be a sin to repeat those scenes in her head when he’s just a door away.

She wanted to talk to someone, but she didn’t know who. She could talk to Alexis but they never had these kinds of conversations before. Sure, she knew how Alexis ended up marrying the girl he liked, she was part of that scheme, but she never opened up about the people she liked. Alexis doesn’t have any idea of this side of her.

She got off the couch, placed the vial on her bedside table, and headed to the bathroom.

In the other room, Loki was in the same boat. He was tossing and turning in bed and ended up sitting with his back on the headboard, his blanket sprawled across his legs. Whenever he would think of Stella, he could feel his stomach churning. He cursed himself for not kissing her right there and then. He didn’t even care if Thor saw them.

He closed his eyes and he remembered the time they were in that hotel room in Athens. Remembering how Stella curled up beside him, pulling him down to the bed, searching for his warm body. Remembering how her scent filled him as he nuzzled her curls. Remembering how her hands looked so small in his.

He exhaled a moan, his right hand inching down to the waistband of his black sweatpants.

* * *

Loki woke up early the next day, too early for his liking. It was still dark outside when he got up. He conjured a black hoodie, socks, and black running shoes, covering all that needs to be covered. He left his room, intending to spend all the time in the gym until the sun rises.

Everyone was still asleep when he asked JARVIS of the others. Everyone, well, except Tony, who was still in his lab. Loki wondered why the Iron Man rarely gets any sleep. Midgardians should at least get some 8 hours of sleep per day, and here comes Tony Stark who rarely sleeps. He surely was not an immortal like him and his brother. He headed straight to the treadmill when he arrived on the gym floor.

Loki didn’t notice the hours that passed until he saw Thor standing in front of him. He slammed the red button in the middle of the panel and wiped the sweat from his face with the microfiber towel he brought with him. “What do you want?”

“Can’t I spend time with my brother, who was gone for almost three months, without anything in return?” Thor stated.

Loki sighed and pursed his lips. “That never happens.” He got off the treadmill, picking up the bottled water that was on the caddy.

Thor frowned. “Heimdall told me you were communicating with him while you were gone.”

He drank before answering him. “I had to, for information. And I had his word, he would not tell anyone until I came back.” He threw the empty bottle into the trash that was located next to a post.

“Where were you all those times?”

He tossed the towel on his shoulder. “So you’re here for information.”

Thor approached him and placed a hand on the crook of his neck. “Brother, I am concerned. I just want to know where you have been. If there were people you wronged, I need to know who they are so I can be ready to fight when they come.”

Loki scowled and shoved Thor’s arm from him. “What is this all about? You didn’t ask me what happened and where I was when I fell from the Bifrost,” he gravely replied. “And what makes you think there is someone else? Aren’t we looking for someone, and that someone is Ares?”

“You had the scepter after you fell from the Bifrost. You were not the Loki that I knew when you came back until I cornered you up there.” Thor pointed up, referring to the balcony on top of the tower.

Loki’s face was emotionless, his lips pursed. But deep inside, the memories of being tortured by The Other came rushing back to him. He felt the searing pain The Other and his cohort had inflicted on him; the searing pain he had to endure as they invaded his memories. He could feel his heart race but he steadied his breathing.

“Stella was not herself when she stabbed you,” he told Loki.

“I am aware,” Loki replied in a steady voice. “I was there. I saw it with my own eyes.” The hurt he felt when he saw Stella going under the scepter’s energy came flooding back, making his eyes sting.

“Do you know why that happened? What it was?”

Loki knew. But he kept his mouth shut. “The stone within it is a sentient being. It carries immense energy, thus sending out beams that can kill even an immortal.” Oh, how many times he wished he used it on The Other and the whole Chitauri army. “Where is Stella?”

“I have not seen her yet,” Thor observed Loki. “You deeply care for her, don’t you?” Loki didn’t answer. He just gave Thor a look. “You can’t deny what you truly feel, Loki. I know that you do.”

“It’s none of your business,” he muttered.

Thor smiled. “It’s okay, brother. I just want to know that you’re okay.”

Loki sighed. “Thor. I’m fine.” His brother frowned. “At least I’m alive. Isn’t that what you want?”

“If you insist, brother. Just remember, I’m here for you.”

Loki gave Thor a curt nod and left the gym floor.

* * *

It was already midday when Stella woke up. She checked her band and, as she had predicted, her healing capacity has increased to 95%. After noticing the envelope icon on the upper right corner of her band, she picked up her phone and checked the messages.

From: Dr. Faiza Hussain  
Message:  
`I noticed your healing capacity has reached 90% overnight. How are you feeling? Give me a call as soon as you read this message. Would recommend a quick check-up on you with a doctor.`

She placed the phone next to her pillow and faced the ceiling. Her to-do list was currently empty, but one thing’s for sure: she had to update Loki with the developments of the case. The problem is, she didn’t want to face him today, not after his two failed attempts to kiss her. She was wary she couldn’t take the professionalism straight. Her phone beeped once more. She picked it up.

From: Tony Stark  
Message:  
`I received a notif saying your healing cap’s up at 95%. How in the world did you do it? Show up in the lab when you’re up. Faiza asked if you can be checked by Banner.`

“Looks like that is my to-do list,” Stella told herself and flipped the blanket off her. She stretched before standing up and then made a few more stretches before she sauntered to the bathroom. Out of habit, she locked the bathroom door behind her and turned on the shower. One by one, she picked out the pins that held her braids and placed them on the soap caddy. In the next few minutes, her bathroom started to smell like fruits and flowers.

After her bath, she dried off, wrapped her hair with a towel, wrapped her body with another towel, and got out of the bathroom. She decided to dress up like a normal human being so she opened her closet and rummaged through her available clothes. She was tired of wearing shirts so she pulled out a white, short-sleeved, button-up shirt. She pulled out a black bralette, wore it first, before putting on the shirt, leaving the buttons from the top down to the hem of the bralette open, leaving a reasonable opening for her bralette and some skin to peek. She then wore her straight cut, denim jeans, and slipped on a pair of black loafers.

Then she headed to her dresser and put on some light makeup. Before leaving her room, she grabbed her necklace and attached it around her neck as she walked to the pantry of the floor’s common area. Seeing the empty coffee machine, she started preparing a fresh batch of coffee for her and the next person when she heard the elevator ping. She didn’t mind it that much until she heard her name being called. She placed the coffee pot on the machine and turned. It was Natasha.

“Did you just wake up?” Natasha asked.

“Yes, I did,” she replied as she looked for the reusable coffee cup she stashed somewhere in the cupboards.

Natasha opened a cupboard and pulled out a mint green thermal coffee cup and placed it near where Stella was. “Are you looking for this?”

Stella peeked from where she was ducked and stood up when she saw the cup. “Where did you find this?”

“You left it lying around upstairs months ago.” Natasha leaned on the counter.

“Wow, months.” Stella poured coffee into the thermal cup. “Can’t believe it has been, what, 3 months?...since we started on this. Coffee?” She offered. Natasha shook her head and said thanks. “And we’re nowhere near solving it.”

“You’re an impatient kind, aren’t you?”

“Guess you can say that. By the way -” she took a sip of her coffee - “Loki’s back.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “Is he now?” Stella nodded. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Nope. Thor saw him yesterday.” Stella sighed. “I still have to update him on the things that had happened so far, the things we have discovered.”

A hopeful smile slowly showed up on Natasha’s face. “So, does this mean you won’t spend the rest of your life in prison?”

For the first time, Stella smiled at it. “Yeah, Loki talked to Athena when we believed that he had passed away, and she told him that it wouldn’t happen. No wonder no one was showing up.”

“You scared yourself for a while there, Stell.”

Stella chuckled. “Yeah.”

Natasha noticed there was a distant look on her face. “Is there something else?” Stella gave her an inquisitive look. “Aren’t you glad Loki’s back?”

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I am. I’m relieved.”

“So, is there something else? You look like there’s something else.”

Stella studied Natasha while she was also studying her. “Aren’t you so perceptive?”

“These kinds of missions don’t end fast, Stell. It’s normal to last long, especially when we’re after someone who’s like a ghost. You should find time to slack off in the middle.”

“I’ll take note of that and consult Dr. Banner, ask him if I can trust you on that.”

“Hey!” They laughed. “But, no. I’m serious.” 

Stella refilled her coffee. Looks like she was the one who can finish the whole pot. “What can you suggest, Agent Romanoff?”

“Go around New York, which I know you constantly do. Go see a movie or play on Broadway. Or try going out on a date -”

“You do that?”

“Nope, too risky. But I think you can.” A quivered smirk appeared on Stella’s face. “Or, is there already someone?” Stella started to blush. “Oh, there is someone.”

“No, there’s no ‘someone’.” Stella immediately replied.

“Your face says otherwise.” 

Stella rolled her eyes and chuckled. “That was uncalled for.”

Natasha moved to the counter, leaning across it. “It’s okay. If there’s someone, I hope I get to meet them someday.”

She shook her head, her chuckle escalated into a giggle. They ignored the sound of the elevator. “I’d like to do that but unfortunately there’s no ‘someone’.” Then Loki entered the common area. Stella bit her lip and eyed her cup.

Natasha observed her as the blush on her cheeks brightened. She turned to the catalyst. “Huh.” Stella flicked her sight to Natasha. “You’re back.” Stella exhaled in relief.

“Indeed I am, Agent Romanoff,” Loki smirked. Stella was snatching glances of Loki when she saw him looking at her.

“So, you weren’t dead?” Natasha moved to Stella’s right.

“No. As you can see I am very well alive,” he replied as he walked to the cupboards.

“There’s coffee in the pot if you want some,” Stella told him without looking at him.

Loki moved to the coffee machine and placed a hand on Stella’s elbow, making her jerk a little. “Thanks,” he said over her shoulder, making the hair on her neck stand up. He dropped his hand and proceeded to pour himself a cup.

“So, there’s no someone?” Natasha asked in a low voice. Loki raised an eyebrow. Stella saw Loki’s back in her peripheral vision. She chuckled and shook her head. Natasha pursed her lips like she knows something Stella doesn’t - because she knows something. “Okay.” She stood straight. “As you say.” She winked and left the common area pantry.

When Loki feels Natasha has left and is already out of earshot, he turns. “Who’s that someone you were talking about?”

Stella jerked and placed a hand on her chest. “Oh, damn. I forgot you’re there.” She faced him. “Nah. It’s nothing.” Loki narrowed his eyes as he sipped his coffee. “No, I mean it’s nothing important.”

“Uh-huh.” He licked his lips. “But if there’s someone important, let me know.”

Stella’s brows furrowed but composed herself right away, remembering that this man in front of her is as perceptive as Natasha. “By the way, I still have to update you on the things that had happened.”

He raised a finger. “Before anything else, have you eaten?” 

Stella blinked. Then she showed him her coffee cup. “I’ve had coffee.”

“That’s not a proper meal.” He crossed his arms on his chest. “You should get something to eat. The potion won’t work if you don’t take care of yourself.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in the direction of the elevator.

Stella grabbed her cup. “Wait! Where are we going?” She caught up with him and twisted her arm for him to release her wrist.

“Bringing you to the dining floor. You can’t just walk around hungry while your body is recuperating.”

“I’m not hungry.”

They entered the elevator. “Your body is.” Loki pressed 74 and he leaned on the wall. Stella’s phone beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket. She started typing a reply with her left hand after reading. “Is it something important?”

She shook her head. “It’s just Tony, asking if I was already up. I was supposed to head to the medical bay right now for my checkup.”

“The potion worked?”

She put her phone back in her back pocket. “Yeah, it did. Thanks.” She gave him a small smile but looked away the second he looked at her. Stella didn’t want to act awkwardly around him but now she is and she hates it. She leaned her elbow on the elevator’s rail and stared at her loafers.

Loki, on the other hand, could feel Stella’s uneasiness, and he knew where it stemmed from. It was all because of his failed attempts yesterday. He was frustrated. He badly wanted to do it right now but it didn’t feel right. He shifted on his feet and straightened his back.

“You want to catch up on the developments over breakfast?” Stella asked.

“It’s already lunchtime, but, sure,” he replied. “What has happened?”

“Aside from my panicking, not much.”

Loki smiled smugly. “If you had been paying attention, you wouldn’t be doing that.”

Stella felt her face warming. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Well, at least you’re here now.” Loki bit his lip but he couldn’t resist giggling. Stella looked up at him and crossed her arms. “What’s so funny?”

“I remember your reaction when I first showed up in your room.”

Her cheeks went beet red. She took a deep breath before speaking. “First of all, I killed a prince, which brings us to the second part: it’s punishable by a life sentence in Olympus.”

Loki stopped smiling. “But even if I died, it’s not your fault.”

“It is. You were not considered as an enemy and I killed you.”

Stella was telling facts, and it made him feel different, but not in a bad way. He felt wanted, important. It made him want to be allied with Athena or Stella forever. As Athena told him, “ _we are equals_.”

“I didn’t want to kill you,” she continued. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

Loki was about to reply but snapped his mouth shut when the doors opened. He extended a hand, gesturing for her to go ahead. There were three people in the kitchen, people unknown to Stella. She heightened her guards as they approached the island.

She blinked when one of them greeted them and gave them a paper. “I didn’t know Tony hired chefs,” she whispered to Loki.

“Thor told me they’ve been here for quite some time now,” he replied as he scanned the menu. He motioned to the chef and told him he’s having a muffaletta. The chef nodded and faced Stella.

“I’ll have a chicken and pasta salad.” He nodded and proceeded to prepare their lunch. Stella and Loki settled on the dining table, across each other. “So -” Stella folded her arms on the table and leaned forward - “do you have any questions?”

“Did you say that demigod was Hermes’ son?” Stella nodded and asked why. “I’ve never heard from him for a long time now.”

Stella’s eyes narrowed a little. “Are you saying you know Hermes?”

“Mmhmm. Last time I saw him was probably 2 centuries ago.”

She gawked at him. “Oookaayyy. I kinda forgot you’re way older than any of us.”

“Not really.” She tilted her head in question. “I’m relatively young. We’re probably the same age, or younger.”

She smiled and shook her head. “You still lived through history.” One of the chef’s assistants brought their food to their table and she said thanks. “Don’t tell me you’ve met my father.”

He took a table napkin and wrapped his sandwich with it. “No, but I personally know Hermes and Hades.”

“So you’re part of the bad boys club?” She waved her fork with a skewered fusilli at the other end.

“What?” He gave her a confused look.

She smiled. “It’s a nickname we gave to them. Though no one can overthrow Zeus as the baddest.”

“And what are the criteria for this?”

“They both cause havoc within the court sometimes and we get to hear the stories about those events.” Loki still has the puzzled look on his face. “It’s a joke among us demigods.” Loki bit into his sandwich pensively, nodding slowly as he chewed. “What’s in your mind?”

“Nothing.”

She raised an eyebrow. “For the god of lies, you're not that good at hiding the fact that you look like you have something itching in your head.”

 _Actually, there are tons of things running through my head right now, the first being you_. “I was wondering why we didn't cross paths before. I mean, before you snatched Ares from me,” he finally said.

She reflected on his statement. “Now that you brought that up, I don’t think we did.” Her eyes locked on him, trying to remember if she had seen his face before the attack in New York happened. Much to her surprise, she has a glimpse of him, looking younger, and black spots in her memory. “We never crossed paths but I have seen a glimpse of you.”

He wiped his fingers with the table napkin. “You worked with Odin and my mother but we never crossed paths?”

She concentrated, trying to unearth that moment when she had talked to either of the princes but was met with black spots. “As I remember correctly, we were not introduced to each other until that time Ares attacked you on Asgard. Well, we weren't introduced formally.”

Loki was not one to forget, but the only memory he has with Stella was when she snatched Ares from him when Ares first attacked. He sat there across Stella, also trying to remember if they had an encounter before that attack. There’s this feeling that tells him that they had met, back when he was younger and Stella was much younger. But the thing was when he was tortured by The Other, some of his memories were tampered with. After that, he lived trying to figure out what happened and what didn’t. He used his sorcery on him to unveil those memories lost but it would always drain him. If he did continue with that, he would drain his seiðr, leaving him powerless. If his mother was still alive, he could use some help.

Now, he’s trying to think and believe that they have met before.

“It would be impossible not to meet you if Odin lets the council consult with you regarding external affairs,” he regarded.

Stella agreed. “But I really can’t remember. Most of my memories have blank spots.”

He looked up in surprise. “Did that happen after the scepter incident?” He asked nervously.

“No. It was like this growing up. Why? Will the exposure to the scepter affect the memory?”

Loki composed himself, hiding his fear that was resurfacing. “No. I believe Agent Barton’s sanity is still intact.”

After breakfast, Stella refilled her thermal cup with coffee, much to Loki’s dismay, and they headed to the elevator.

“Would you want me to walk you to the medical bay?” He asked.

“No need to do that, thanks.” She smiled and waited for the elevator. “Oh, by the way. I need your help.” Loki asked what it was for. “I need you to test my energy.”

A sly smirk played on his face. “I’d love to. When?”

Stella entered the elevator. “Meet me in the firing range, 39th floor, after my checkup.”

* * *

“Care to explain what happened here?” Bruce said when he saw Stella enter the room.

Stella scanned the charts on the holoscreen Bruce was studying. “I took a healing potion from Athena.”

“From Athena? And how did you gain access to it?”

A nurse gave Stella a hospital gown and she got in a small room to change. “Loki gave it to me.”

Bruce looked up from his clipboard. “Loki...what? How?”

Stella got out of the room. “He’s back from the dead.” Bruce’s brows met. “Ask Thor and Natasha. They saw him.”

“How in the world…?”

“Oh, there you are!” Tony blurted out when he saw Stella. “You got Faiza worried.”

The nurse guided her to the bed. “I’m fine. It was just the healing potion.”

“Healing potion, you say? Where did you get it?” Tony picked up his water bottle.

“Loki brought it back from the dead.”

Tony almost spat his water. “Who?”

“Loki is back,” Bruce told him.

Tony tilted his head. “You’re kidding,” he told Stella.

“Nope. I’m not. Ask Jarvis.”

Tony exhaled heavily. “Jarvis? Is Loki in the building?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark. He is on the 53rd floor,” the AI replied.

“Are you sure he’s not an illusion?”

Windows popped up on the holoscreen, revealing Loki’s vitals. “Very much alive, Mr. Stark.”

“Huh.” Tony closed all the windows. “That means one thing, kid.” He faced Stella. “You’re spared for lifetime imprisonment in Olympus.” He smiled at her.

Bruce smiled rather reluctantly. “Well, at least we have that good news.”

“Worth to have my energy back,” Stella replied.

“I still can’t believe Loki is back,” Bruce commented.

“Well, you can see him for yourself after this.” Tony winked at him and he rolled his eyes.

Stella’s checkup gave promising results. Her healing capacity has steadied, and her injuries had completely healed, thanks to the vial Loki brought back from Athena. She headed to the 39th floor right after the checkup. When she entered, Loki was already in the middle of the practice space, meditating. She switched into her battle attire, minus the swords and the dagger.

She stopped behind him. “Loki?”

Loki opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder. “How’s it?” He stood while a green mist ran through his body, replacing his casual clothes with his black, green, and gold leather attire.

“I’m cleared. Everything has healed. Thanks for the vial.” Loki smiled in reply.

“So, what do you want me to do again?”

Stella rolled her shoulders as she took her position a few feet away from him. "Hit me," she answered.

His brows furrowed. "I beg your pardon? Are you out of your mind?" 

"Not yet. I just want to gauge where I am in my progress and who's the best person who can test that but you." She stood firmly. "Now hit me." 

“By the Norns, not yet…” He shook his head in disbelief. “Is this what I came back to?” Stella, who’s getting a little bit impatient, sent an energy bolt next to him, triggering him. He smirked. "Very well. As you wish."

Loki flicked his arm towards her, sending sharp beams of green. Stella has not completed creating her force shield, thus letting his beams blow her to the wall. 

She pushed herself up and shook her arms. Loki sent beams once more. Stella bent her knees and clapped, enclosing herself in a bubble of blue shield. The bubble deflected the green beams. 

She diffused her shield. Loki gave her a menacing look. She hurled blue bolts just when he pushed his green mists, absorbing her beams. The collision exploded, pushing them back, away from each other. 

This went on for hours. Loki pushed Stella to the limit and Stella worked like there isn’t. Her misses were getting less and less as the hours went by and her accuracy is back. 

At the last stretch, Loki sent a single beam at her. Upon the sight of it, Stella's sword materialized in her hand and she hit the green-gold beam, disintegrating it into a thousand pieces. 

"It seems you have your magic back." He quipped. 

"I didn't know I could do that." She said as she ran her fingers on her blade. "I've never done that." Her eyes twinkled in delight.

The corners of his mouth turned up as pride swelled within him. He was happy for her. "It will be useful when we face Ares. Good to be well-equipped for battle."

She returned her blade to her subspace. “I hope that can be applied to anything.” She wiped a bead of sweat on her temple and noticed Loki ambling towards her. She stopped breathing when he smiled coyly at her. Her eyes widened when he stopped in front of her and placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

“You’re alluring, do you know that?” He declared. She opened her mouth but what came out was only a croak. “You’re the reason I fought my way back. I can’t leave you behind as much as you don’t want me dead.”

Stella’s eyebrows crunched, her emotions blending into each other inside her, but her attention zeroed in on his second sentence. “What do you mean ‘you fought back’?”

That was not the reply he was expecting. “I’ll tell you another time.”

“Loki, are there more?” She asked, her voice a tone lower, and it’s showing her worry. He dropped his hand but she caught it, cradling it on hers. She sighed. “Loki, whatever that is, you can tell me anything,” she said as she caressed his hand with her thumbs, giving him comfort. “We’re in this together, remember? I hope you can trust me as much as I trust you.”

Stella’s words were like music to his soul. No ill intentions. Just plain but heartfelt ‘I trust you.’ For his whole life, he never had this experience, people fully trusting him.

Loki moved his hand to hold hers, then he raised it to his lips, planting a kiss on her knuckles. Stella smiled softly at his gesture.

Loki’s lips parted with her hand. “Yes, I trust you, Stella.”

She smiled softly. “Thank you, Loki.”

* * *

After their sparring session, they went up to their floor together, talking about anything under the sun, anything except what Loki did after the Jericho Castle incident. Loki told her his concern about Tony not sleeping for days and she suggested that he check on the Iron Man, which he disagreed on.

Then their conversation moved to Loki reminiscing the pranks he pulled on his brother, the moments he turned himself into a snake, which made Stella tremble. And that’s how he found out Stella is immensely afraid of snakes. He apologized and wrapped his arm around her when he noticed her losing color.

“It’s the bane of my existence,” she said as she leaned on his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” he said through her hair. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay.” She looked up to him. “You didn’t know.”

When Stella thought he was going to finally kiss her on the lips, he instead kissed her forehead. _At least there’s progress_.

“If you’re afraid of snakes, how did you defeat a gorgon?” He inquired.

“By sheer luck and courage.” Loki laughed. She moved back a little to check on him. “What?”

“Sounds like a trigger-happy, war maniac.”

“Did you just call me a trigger-happy, war maniac?” He was still laughing. She pouted and lightly punched him on his leather-covered chest. “I’m not Ares.”

She pushed herself off him when the doors started to open. She was not prepared to be seen like this with Loki. Loki understood her silent sentiment and let go of her. They got out of the elevator, told each other ‘see you later’s, and Stella waited for Loki to enter his room before knocking on Natasha’s door.

“Who’s it?” She heard Natasha call from the other side.

“Nat, it’s Stella.”

The door opened. “What’s up?”

Stella gulped. “About your question.”

A smile crept on the redhead’s face. “Is there an answer?”

Stella took a step back, covering her face. “Uh, no. I think this is a bad idea. I’m going ahead of myself,” she muttered to herself.

“Oh, come on. Maybe you’re not?” Natasha suggested. Stella leaned on the opposite wall, her armor clanking as it hit. Natasha leaned on the doorframe. “So?”

Stella’s eyes wandered all over before it rested on Natasha. “I think there’s someone.”

Natasha beamed. She got out of her room to pull Stella in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stella and The Storm is actually a name of a band.
> 
> I kinda had a hard time editing this chapter. (-。－；) Let me know what you think!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! _へ__(‾◡◝ )>


	21. In Vino Veritas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella sought for some personal advice from Natasha over drinks and decided to let her inhibitions go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs of the chapter: Hue by August Wahh, I Wanna Hold Your Hand by The Beatles, and Connection by Keiko Necesario (If you play these songs while reading, I suggest playing I Wanna Hold Your Hand when it comes up along the story [oops, mini spoiler alert. Sorry (ﾉ*･ω･)ﾉ] and then play Connection after that, or when the song ends in the story. You’re Welcome. ٩(^ᴗ^)۶)

### Chapter 19: In Vino Veritas

Natasha slammed the door shut behind her. “Okay, spill.”

Stella didn’t even get the chance to change into her casual clothes when Natasha pulled her in. Natasha went to her mini-fridge to get them drinks. Stella stood by the window, contemplating if this was the right thing to do. If talking to Natasha was the right thing to do. Her body glowed blue and her metal armor disappeared into her subspace, leaving her with the white suit.

Natasha passed a can of beer to her. Stella accepted it. “So?” Natasha smiled as she popped open her beer.

Stella looked down at the can of beer in her hands. _This is a bad idea_. She knew Natasha was so against Loki working with them and now Stella’s about to talk to her about her feelings for him. She frowned, already regretting the idea.

Natasha was halfway through her drink, waiting for Stella to speak.

“I’m sorry. This must be a bad idea.”

 _This must be about Loki_ , Natasha thought. “Why?” She asked. “Did you see someone tonight?”

Stella looked down at her outfit, then to Natasha, with a look on her face as if saying ‘I look like I just came back from a fight, are you sure about that?’

“Oh yeah. That doesn’t look like a dinner outfit. What was I thinking?” Natasha then slapped her forehead. “So you didn’t see anyone tonight?” Stella shook her head. She opened her drink and took a sip.

“Maybe we should go out together one night. Or maybe tonight.” Natasha continued as she moved to sit on the couch. “Let’s go out there and find you someone,” she suggested.

Stella turned to face the redhead. “I don’t want anyone else.”

Natasha tilted her head to the side, her lips pursed in an excited smirk. “So, it’s someone familiar to you?”

Stella didn’t have any plans to sit. She shifted on her feet, her finger circling the rim of the can. “I’ve been having these mixed emotions lately.” Her eyes wandered and finally fixed on the windows of the skyscraper next to the tower. “I thought it was just -” she paused, organizing her thoughts. “I thought it was just for a moment and then it would disappear. But it didn’t.” She took a sip. Natasha was already on her second can. “I never thought I would be this conflicted over someone again.”

Natasha was now having doubts about who it might be. “What are these emotions you say?”

Stella ambled to the couch and sat at the other end. “I never thought about it properly.”

“Sounds like love.” Natasha teased.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Maybe it’s just infatuation.” Stella brought a folded leg up on the couch. “I thought time and distance would make it disappear but it seems that it made the heart grow fonder, I guess.”

Natasha propped her elbow on the backrest of the couch and placed a hand at the back of her neck. “Who is this?” She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Is this someone you know?” Stella nodded slowly, already picking up Natasha’s suspicion. “Is this Jericho?”

“Oh no. Nope. Never.” Stella scrunched her face in disgust. “Oh, god. This must be a bad idea,” she muttered.

“Can I ask something?” Stella nodded. “Is this Loki?”

Stella’s throat constricted, it almost made her spit beer on Nat’s floor. Natasha was brimming with excitement when she noticed Stella’s face turn beet red. “How in the world…?” She whispered and looked at her, bug-eyed. “What?”

“Well, I could be wrong but I see the way you look at him.” Natasha peeked through her lashes.

Stella blinked, an incredulous look on her face. “Have you been ‘Black Widowing’ on us?”

“I have been ‘Black Widowing’ on everyone, it’s my job. Besides, you rarely leave this tower. Except if it’s someone I don’t know, someone left in Greece?”

“I didn’t leave anyone in Greece.” She slumped on the couch and dropped her arms on her stomach. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“This is interesting. I knew something was going on with you or him or between the two of you since you two walked in this tower together.”

Stella’s mind went into overdrive. “I’m sorry. This is ridiculous.” She moved to leave the couch.

Natasha raised her free hand and locked it across Stella’s body. “You’re not going anywhere, girl. You have to finish what you started.”

Stella groaned, regretting knocking on Natasha’s door. “This is a mistake.”

“No, it’s not,” the red-head assured her. Stella raised an eyebrow. “It’s interesting, really.”

“I know he’s not the one you’re expecting to hear from me.”

“Actually, from the way you started, I even thought it’s Jericho, given that you two know each other way back.”

Stella dropped her head, eyeing the drink on her hand. “It couldn’t be Jericho.” It brought her way back to when they were younger. They grew up thinking that everyone in Athena’s court was brothers and sisters, and that’s how they treated each other. But they knew that they were born of different mothers, and have different immortal fathers. Jericho was of Hermes, Stella was of Zeus.

When Stella’s mother passed away, she was left alone in the US. For two years she was living with different families, foster families. She was with 8 families in the US. She had no one, and the only trusted people she can talk to, although online, were the Castles.

Jericho, and his mom, Tanya Castle, were her second family ever since she was 5 when Athena started to teach her and Jericho together. Stella and Jericho became best friends, and so did Tanya and Helena. But with the nature of Helena Lords’ career where they have to move from one country to another, Jericho and Stella would see each other twice or thrice a year.

When Tanya heard Helena Lords passed away, she asked Athena if she could adopt Stella. Athena agreed but it took them two years to have Stella back to them in Greece. Athena came to pick her up, disguised as her distant aunt, and finally brought her home to the Castles.

Jericho and Stella knew each other inside and out. Jericho became a big brother figure for Stella since he was two years older than her. Stella left the Castles when she was appointed as the guardian and she became a detective. Jericho held her close to him as they cried into each other’s arms. Little did they know it was the last time they saw each other as allies.

Stella never had any romantic interest in Jericho, even though she would catch herself admiring his glowing tan skin, his mischievous amber eyes, and his perfectly carved body apart from his skills and personality. She had always seen him as her big brother. She never knew how he felt for her. She didn’t want to find it out.

“Jericho was my brother in arms and he became an enemy when I found out that he’s working with Ares,” Stella told her. Natasha nodded, opening a new can of beer. Stella managed to finish her first can.

“So it can be Loki.” Stella studied Natasha. It seems that her guards were not up. But then again, this was the Black Widow. “Don’t worry about it, Stell.” Natasha reached out to her to place a reassuring hand on her knee. “Whatever you tell me, I’ll listen. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“This won’t leak to SHIELD?”

Natasha laughed. “Nope. Never. Trust me on this.” She raised her drink.

Stella slumped on the couch. “I hate to admit that it’s him.” Natasha smiled. “I know that he was your immortal mortal enemy, and I know he’s the god of mischief.” She was still smiling. “This is a huge mistake.” Stella pushed herself off the couch.

Natasha stood up to make her sit back again. “Oh, come on Stella. Relax. Unconventional, yeah sure. But we all know how he can be charming. Remember when he bypassed the security to sleep with that woman from Stark Industries?”

Stella blushed. “Oh, don’t remind me of my reaction to that event.”

Natasha dropped on the couch. “Yeah, he was an enemy.” She started after a moment. “I was afraid of him when they said he turned Clint. I was afraid to come face to face with him. Because what if it was me who he turned? I could hurt everyone, I could kill everyone. Then that fear turned to anger. That’s why I couldn’t believe it when he came back and Fury and Tony were okay with him working with us.” Natasha sipped before continuing. “I kept on trying to find answers to my questions that night.”

“It must be difficult for you to understand everything. Me showing up out of nowhere, Loki working on this case -”

“I didn’t have any problems with you showing up. I’m actually thankful, after discovering that I could trust you.” Stella chuckled, remembering how Natasha tried to grill her in the elevator. “It just took time to understand why Loki.”

“Did you find your peace?”

Natasha opened another drink. “Somewhat.”

Stella’s heart dropped. _It really was a mistake coming here_ , she thought.

“But I don’t want to talk about what I think about him. Let’s talk about how you feel about him.” Natasha pushed.

Stella blinked, confused. “How can I tell you how I feel about him when you don’t trust him?”

Natasha smiled and moved to fully face Stella. “Okay, here’s the thing, Stell. You can trust me on this. We have talked about this and I have seen with my own eyes where 2012 Loki ended.” Stella still looked like she was having apprehensions. “And I believe he’s not anymore the Loki we first knew. I mean, he wouldn’t save you several times if he was evil incarnate. Thor even trusted him so much. That tells me something after seeing him toss his brother around 3 years ago.” Stella just looked at her. “Trust me on this.” Stella then looked lost. “Okay, for starters, I’ve noticed that he acts differently around you. Like, he always kept an eye on you, not in a predatory way but it seems like he wants to keep you safe. Second, he looks comfortable around you. When you’re not around, he looks like the usual Loki - serious, bossy, snarky. Then it changes when you’re there. It’s still there but it seems that he’s mellowing it down.” Natasha explained.

Stella pondered on Natasha’s observation. She wanted to tell Natasha everything she felt about Loki but the veil that Natasha has on is different. _What if she’ll think I might turn against them?_

“You know, you have to tell me something. I’m not a mind reader.” Natasha joked.

“Are you thinking that I might turn against all of you?” Stella quietly asked.

“Hey,” Natasha muttered softly as she moved closer to her. She gently stroked her folded knee with her right hand. “You’re not that kind of person, Stell. I can see that.”

“Good to know,” Stella smirked and she replied with a smile.

“So, what do you want to happen? Don’t tell me you want to find Ares.” Natasha playfully glared when she said the last sentence. Stella snapped her mouth shut because that was what she wanted to say.

“What do I want to happen?” Stella repeated the question. She wanted to be friends with him. She wanted to caress her fingers on his cheek, run them through his hair. She wanted to be more than a friend. She wanted to have what they momentarily had back in Athens. “I want to sort myself out.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “You mean sort your feelings out?”

“Yeah. I guess so,” she said in defeat. She felt her emotions flowing from her like molasses. She closed her eyes as the pterodactyls within her unleashed hell.

“This will be a long night for us.” Natasha playfully slapped her shoulder as she stood up to pick up her phone. “Pizza and chicken wings for dinner or just pizza?”

“I don’t care.”

“Pizza, chicken wings, and beer it is.” Natasha dialed for the delivery.

Stella stood from the couch. “Hey, I’m just gonna wash up and change. I want to shed off this suit now.”

“I thought you can make that disappear?”

“I kinda want this dry cleaned like a normal person,” she replied over her shoulder.

Natasha laughed. “Just make sure to come back after or else I’ll drag you out!”

After Stella took a bath and changed into her grey sweatpants and white shirt, the women were now sitting on the black faux fur carpet in the middle of Nat’s room, the box of pizza and chicken wings laid out on top of the coffee table in front of them.

“Going back, you said you wanted to sort yourself out?” Natasha picked up a slice of pizza and started eating.

“I’m not sure if I like him, or I just miss him when he was supposedly dead,” Stella said as she chewed pensively on her chicken wing.

Natasha giggled. “Sounds like you like him.”

Stella shrugged. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him, remembering what we have done together. I even started thinking we could be friends if I didn’t kill him.”

“You can definitely do that now.” Natasha picked up a napkin. “By the way, did you guys know each other before this happened?”

“We were recollecting when we first met,” Stella told Nat as the latter nibbled her pizza. “We both couldn’t remember anything but he was sure at some point, we were introduced to each other.”

“Ask Thor?” Nat suggested.

“I’m not ready to talk to Thor about this.”

“You’re just gonna ask him if you were introduced to them.”

Stella ate her slice pensively. “Okay, sure. I’ll ask him.”

Natasha took a sip of her beer. “So, what have you observed from Loki that made you feel that way?”

Stella took a table napkin and placed it under her half-eaten slice. “Natasha, I don’t want to be weird but, first of all, I want you to know that I trust you.”

Nat raised her beer. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Stella brought two fingers up. “Second, I don’t do this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not the kind of person who talks about their feelings with others. But this time, I felt the need to talk to someone.”

Nat raised the chicken wing that she picked up. “I’m honored.”

“Okay.” Stella took a moment before proceeding. “I guess it started when we were in Athens.” Natasha had this knowing look on her face. Stella brushed it off and continued. “The way he took care of me was different,” Stella remembered how his skin felt on hers, how his warmth soothed her inside, how he held her firmly, but tenderly. “He’s so protective, though I don’t need protection from anyone, I can handle myself. But he was there, protecting me as much as he could, even if it meant he would take the attack.” Stella smiled sadly. “I wouldn’t even do that for Jericho.”

“Maybe you would if he wasn’t working for Ares?”

Stella shook her head. “Never willingly took a bullet or an attack for Jericho, except for those times when I badly needed to, or he was acting stupid.”

Natasha understood what she meant. As a trained assassin, most of the time you were there with and for yourself, even when working in twos, you should always mind yourself first. If your partner gets caught, you have to leave them behind. But her philosophy changed when she joined the Avengers - no one should be left behind, and she would take a bullet for these idiots she’s with.

“And there’s more,” Stella said after finishing her second beer. “When I was attacked by the twins, he told them that he will make them pay for what they did to me. When we were in Athens, he was worried sick. He even looked like he’s the one who got hurt.”

"He was indeed worried sick when he brought you in after you visited Athens. Bruce noticed it too.” Natasha added.

"He was even utterly disappointed when I was drinking alcohol while on meds. Thor mentioned it to me and he said he wasn't like that ever since." Stella opened another beer. “Would you do that for your teammates? Say -” she jutted her chin - “Tony, Steve, and the others?”

“I’d be worried if they get injured but I get over it right away ‘cause I know they’ll be alright after. If the doctors tell me that they’ll be going to be okay after a while, I won’t worry. As for what he told the twins, I’m not a drama queen to say that.”

Stella laughed. “So, Loki is a drama queen?”

“If only you knew how Tony found out that Loki was going to use this tower as a beacon for the portal, you’d get it.”

“It takes one drama queen to know another drama queen?” 

Natasha laughed. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Stella sighed over her smile before saying her next question. "This sounds dramatic but, if you ever get injured, does your comrade hold you tenderly in their arms as you struggle your way out of your delirium?"

“No. I slammed Clint’s head and that’s how he snapped out of the mind control. I tied him up when he was unconscious.” Stella blinked. “He did that?" Natasha asked as her smile widened. Stella downed her third beer before affirming. “Wow. I think he's into you."

Stella could feel her cheeks heating up, not sure if it was because of the alcohol or Natasha's statement. “That I’m not sure. But you don’t kiss someone’s forehead out of the blue if you don’t have feelings for them, right?”

Natasha grabbed Stella’s arm in surprise. “He did that too? Oh my god.” She giggled while Stella was giving her a weird look. “I fervently believe he’s into you. You don’t just kiss someone on the forehead without any reason.”

“I still want to know what happened to him. I could see a hint of hurt in his eyes whenever 2012 or that incident was discussed or opened up.” Stella mumbled.

Natasha noticed their beer was dwindling. She stood up and walked to her small fridge. “We still don’t know what happened with Loki, not even Thor. Thor said Loki isn’t telling them anything. But I’m not saying you have to elicit information from him. No.” She came back bringing chilled wine and two wine glasses. “As much as I want information, I don’t want to use you for it. You two have feelings for each other. I don’t want to exploit that.”

Stella looked at Nat. “You’re not against me having feelings for him?”

Nat chuckled. “I can’t stop anyone from having feelings for someone. And you almost killed yourself to worry when you -” she wiggled her fingers in the air - “killed him.” She opened the wine and poured some into her glass. “I just want you to be careful.” Natasha poured Stella a glass of wine when she noticed she already finished her beer.

"I know this sounds weird because you had a bad experience with him but I think he's not as evil as everyone thinks he is." Stella’s back hit the couch. "He's conflicted. He doesn't know how to become great like his brother or father so he ended up doing the things that he did. I think he's on his way to his redemption. He seized control of his destiny when his mother died."

"I didn't know his mother died," Natasha said quietly.

Stella nodded. "They were close. I knew because I have talked to Frigga several times before when I was in Asgard's war room. She cherished her boys." She said sadly. "I think his mother was the only one who made his heart whole."

Natasha frowned. "Please don't tell me you're in it to fix him."

Stella sipped her wine and wiped her lips. "Hell no," she strongly replied. "I'm not doing that. If he's broken right now, I'll be there while he patches himself up. But I won't fix him up myself." She stared blankly at the bare wall of Natasha’s room. Though she was not seeing bare at all, she was seeing Loki in her mind. The way she catches his glances. The way his eyes smile even when he didn’t intend to make them. She missed everything about him when he was away.

“Did you say you were talking to his mother before?” Stella nodded a reply. “I really think you guys have met before. It would be impossible for Frigga not to introduce you to her sons, also given that you’re a woman and she has two sons.” Stella looked at Natasha. “I mean, you know how royal families work.” She raised her palm.

“I’m a mortal.”

“Daughter of Zeus.” Natasha raised her glass. “I bet they would consider.” Natasha watched as the curly-haired woman next to her was looking at the wall dreamily. She smirked, knowing that Stella was thinking of Loki, who was just in the other room."You should talk," she suggested.

Stella chuckled. “I don’t think I’m ready.” She looked up as apprehensions filled her mind. “What if he was just playing? Or leading me on? Or using me for his gains?”

A corner of Natasha’s lip went up. “Professional advice? This is the time you take note of micro-expressions. You’re a detective, I know you know that.” She refilled her glass. “Personal advice? Floor it. Pedal to the metal. Tell him what you feel. You’ll feel lighter regardless of what he says after.”

“I’ll try to do that tomorrow.”

Natasha checked the time. “You mean later?”

Stella glanced at the digital clock sitting on Nat’s bedside table. “Oh. Yeah. Later. Maybe.”

“Another thing, what did you see in Loki?” The redhead inquired. Stella picked up another chicken wing and bit on it as she thought. “If you like the person, it wouldn’t take time for you to reply.”

“I’m sorting my thoughts out.”

“You wouldn’t sort your thoughts out if you like someone.”

“Have you liked someone?” Stella leaned in her direction.

Natasha smirked. “Coaches don’t play, darling.”

Stella finished her chicken wing. “Athena trusts him.”

“Despite what Athena tells you.”

“He’s...he’s balanced.” Stella looked at her. “He’s equal parts chaos and control. He’s brash but he can be gentle.” A smile starts to rise on her face. “And I love his snarky replies, reminds me of Jericho.”

Natasha’s eyes flicked to her. “Didn’t you say Jericho is the son of Hermes?”

“Yes, and?”

Natasha explained. “Hermes is the Greek equivalent of Loki. You and Jericho were childhood friends, basically grew up together. Isn’t the reason why you like Loki is because he is like Jericho?” Stella sipped her wine. “Just a random thought.”

“Jericho is brash and gentle. Both chaos and control. He would protect and fight for me. Loki did the same and told me that, too.” Stella scrunched her face. “No. That can’t be it. Jericho is an idiot for working with Ares. They’re different individuals.”

“But they’re both thriving on mischief.”

Stella extended her hand that was holding her wine glass to Natasha and the latter refilled her glass. “Jericho has ceased to become my brother since he joined Ares,” Stella repeated, a hint of regret in her voice. “Loki is older than Jericho. Way older than us, actually.” She drank before continuing. “Do you know that certain pull you feel to a certain individual? That kind of pull that makes you think that you want to be closer with this person?”

Natasha nodded. “Yes, go on.”

“It’s like...it’s like it came out of nowhere. You see this person and then, boom! You just want to hold them in your arms, wake up next to them, discover their inner desires and their fears. You don’t know them yet but you’re willing to.” Natasha smiled as she saw passion burning in Stella’s eyes. Stella slumped on the couch and took another sip. Her eyes gazed at the blank wall, smiling slowly. “That’s how I feel about Loki.” Stella sighed dreamily. “Like, I want to be right beside him when the sun sets and rises.”

“That sounds lovely but are you sure you can keep up with him? He’s a prince.” Natasha hugged her knee. “I don’t want to kill your vibe but, are you ready for that?”

Stella frowned. “I thought about that. What if he’s like Zeus? What if…” She shifted on the floor. “What if I get pregnant and he’ll leave me like what Zeus did to my mother?” She babbled.

Natasha almost choked on her wine. “Okay, you’re really serious about this.”

Stella folded her knees to her chest. “Am I getting ahead of myself?” She asked in a small voice.

Natasha giggled. “No, but that thought was amusing. Demigod problems are on the next level.” She sipped her wine. Stella extended her empty wine glass and she refilled it. “You really see him in your future, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Then it’s safe to say that you’re in love with him.”

Stella’s eyes opened wide. “In love? Right away? Couldn’t it be just infatuation?”

“Don’t deny yourself of love, Lords. Let yourself feel it once in a while.”

Several hours later, they managed to finish another 6-pack of beer and 2 more bottles of wine. The alcohol was already running through their veins, they were already laughing out loud, playing card games. After the last round, Stella yawned. She could barely hold her eyelids open.

Natasha laughed. “You’re drunk, Lords.”

Stella raised a finger. “Nope!”

“We finished everything.” Stella laughed and almost stumbled on the floor. “Yeah, you’re drunk.” Natasha wobbled as she stood up, pulling Stella but she crashed on the couch.

Stella laughed at Nat and stood up herself. “Come on, Nat!” She pulled her arm.

“Where are we going?” Nat stood up.

Stella giggled and released Nat’s hand. “Nowhere.”

“You’re crazy. Get some sleep, will ya!” Stella opened the door and stumbled into the corridor, giving out a high-pitched shriek. "C'mon Lords! You're feet away from your door!" Stella just laughed at her.

What they didn’t know, Loki was still awake, reading a book in the common area. He dropped the book when he heard Stella’s shriek. He immediately got up to check and he saw Stella sitting on the floor, laughing with Natasha, who was leaning on the wall.

"Are you two drunk?" Loki asked them as he approached.

"Oh hey Lokiiii," Natasha crooned. "We had a few drinks, that's all." She stood up and pulled Stella. "Stella come onnnn."

"The floor is comfyyyyyyy." She slurred.

“No, the floor is lava.” Natasha tugged her arm again.

Loki sighed and picked up the giggling Stella from the floor. "I've got her," he told Natasha.

"You sure?" He nodded at her. "Alright. I'll see you later."

“Nat! Don’t leave me!” Stella reached out to her.

Natasha approached Stella one last time and cupped her face with her hands. “You’re with your prince charming now.” Loki raised his brows. “You’re safe, baby girl.” She let go of her and entered her room.

“Prince charming?” Stella looked up. “Oh, Lokeeee!!!” She hugged him.

Drunk Stella was adorable, Loki couldn’t get annoyed with it. He giggled as he looked at Stella, who was trying to open her eyes the whole time she was in his arms. He carried her bridal style. "Have you been drinking a lot?" He asked as he walked to her door.

"No shit, Sherlock," she muttered as her head hit his chest. "You smell so good." She nuzzled on his white shirt. On the other hand, she smelled heavily of red wine and some lager. She lifted her hand and started playing with his hair, which made him chuckle.

He opened her bedroom door with his magic and pushed it close with his foot. Stella continued playing with his hair and humming an upbeat song. Loki didn't know what song it was but it made him light inside.

"I can't believe you have been drinking one too many glasses of wine lately." He told her as he placed her in the bed.

She resisted. “No. I need to wash my face and brush my teeth.” She got off the bed and stumbled. Loki caught her just before she came down crashing on the floor.

“Are you sure you can do that? You can barely stand.”

She lightly patted Loki’s chest. “I can handle this, don’t worry about me.” She walked to the bathroom, but with Loki who was helping her walk steadily. He opened the door for her and let her in. She left the door open and Loki closed it. He waited outside the door, ready to check on her if he ever hears her fall again because it looks like she was not blessed with Dionysus’ alcohol tolerance.

After how many minutes, the bathroom door opened. Loki studied her and she was walking with her eyes closed. He held her hand and she opened her eyes. “Lokeeee…” She smiled.

“Why are you walking with your eyes closed? You might fall,” he gently told her as he guided her out of the bathroom. Instead of following him to the bed, Stella pulled him to the small pantry of her room. “Where are you going?” He let go of her then followed her. She opened her small fridge and stared at it. “What are you looking for?”

“Water.” Loki checked her fridge and the other possible place but there wasn’t. He conjured a bottle of water for her instead. “Why are you here?” She asked after drinking.

Loki placed a hand on her waist. “You fell on the floor when you got out of Agent Romanoff’s room. I can’t let you crawl your way here.” Stella started moving. “Come on now, you need to rest.”

Stella moved around, her eyes closed, and she was muttering something. Loki tried to decipher what she was saying. “And when I touch you...I feel happy inside...It’s such a feeling…” She held his hand and started swinging, watching him through her droopy lids. “I can’t hide...I can’t hide...I can’t hide…” She started dancing in the middle of her room when the song reached its crescendo. Loki realized it was the same song she was humming earlier. “Dance with me, Loki.” She twirled herself, still holding Loki’s hand.

Loki chuckled and held onto her sides and she continued singing. “JARVIS, play I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” she said and the song filled the room. Loki knew how to dance but the dance Stella was doing was something he’s not accustomed to. Stella was only holding one of his hands and her other hand was moving as her hips swayed. Her steps were wild but it had a certain pattern. She laughed as she sang along. “C’mon, dear! Dance with me!” Loki was just holding on to her as he made one, two steps to the side, one, two steps to the other. Stella noticed he wasn’t dancing. “This is swing. I danced this with my mom before, and this is our favorite song to dance to.”

Loki didn’t know what swing was, but now he could feel his heart being squeezed when Stella shared an intimate detail of her past. He raised his hand, twirled her, then wrapped his arms around her, her back against his chest. “You’ve got that something...I think you’ll understand…” Loki started singing. “When I feel that something...I want to hold your hand…”

Stella giggled. “I want to hold your hand…” And he did. And he did not let go even when the song ended. They were still swaying to the music she was humming. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back to Loki’s chest.

Loki gazed at her. He slowly released her from his arms and helped her on the bed. When they reached the bed, he placed a hand on her back and helped her remove her shoes. He wanted to do it with his magic but she insisted on not using it. He knelt on the bed as he assisted her until her head hit the pillows.

The dizziness rushed through her head, making her jolt upright and hit her head on Loki’s. "Ow. I'm sorry."

Loki noticed the creases on her face. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”

She opened her eyes, though still droopy. “I’m dizzy.”

He massaged her forehead with his thumb. “Is it because of the hit?”

“No. Alcohol.”

Loki made her lie back down and lightly tapped a finger on her forehead for a healing spell, something to alleviate nausea she was experiencing. Stella was running her fingers absent-mindedly on his shirt-covered chest. He caught one of her hands and brought it up to his lips. "You need to sleep, my dear."

"Okay." She softly said and buried herself under the blankets he pulled over her. He moved to kiss her forehead and he was about to let go of her hand when she pulled him. "Loki…please stay," she whispered.

“Are you sure?” He whispered back.

“Yes. Please.”

He looked at her. Despite having all the alcohol in her system, she looked peaceful. He also knew how the alcohol can affect her mortal body and he thought she might want to wake up to someone holding her while she has a raging hangover. He moved Stella a little to the side and climbed next to her.

The drunk Stella wrapped her arm across his body and nuzzled her way to his side. Loki lifted his arms, waiting for her next move. When she settled, he slowly wrapped his arms around her. 

"Thanks, Loki." He heard her whisper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going places!（・ｗ・）
> 
> btw, I made a Spotify playlist ~~no one asked for~~ for all the songs that appeared in this story. You can [listen to it here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4NYZSjlM29SebLTUwGDv8v?si=lufgVFyYSgqb-C154h_7Dw) and/or follow the playlist. I'll be adding songs as the story progresses.
> 
> Fun fact: this chapter had 3 versions before I finally landed on this. Initially, this wouldn't happen early in the story. This was supposed to be chapter 24 but the first draft was messy.
> 
> Another fun fact: we now have reached 80k+ words. The first draft was around the same number when I finished writing it. ~~ok Tash no one asked for that, too~~
> 
> Thank you for the feedback from the previous chapters! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken and on Twitter @ tzcarpina!
> 
> (gif not mine)


	22. Maelstrom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few pillow talks before they delve into the serious matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Sugar by BROCKHAMPTON
> 
> Hey! I know it's Monday (Tuesday dawn here in my side of the world) and I missed my usual Friday regular programming. I was just too stressed last week and I had to focus on writing my script for my acting class. Now I'm done with phase 1, I decided to post the next chapter today so we can go back to our regular programming this coming Friday. Hopefully I can go back :D

### Chapter 20: Maelstrom

As expected, Stella woke up with a raging headache. She stirred in her bed, her surroundings spinning. She took her time before wiggling her arm.

Then she felt a warm body next to her.

With all her might, she moved her head to check. First, she saw a pale, muscular arm wrapped across her stomach. She slowly turned, shutting her eyes tight to lessen the nausea, and just managed to lie flat on her back before the vomiting sensation resurfaced. She let the hangover settle before opening her eyes. To her surprise, it was Loki, sleeping peacefully beside her.

_How in the hell…_

All she could remember was bits and pieces of the last minutes of her drinking spree with Natasha last night. She remembered Natasha tipping the second bottle of red wine. She remembered the card games. She remembered the two of them sitting on the floor, laughing and trying to rap.

She groaned as a wave of headache hit her. Loki stirred beside her and woke up. He checked on Stella, who was covering her eyes with the heels of her palm.

"Stell, how are you feeling?" 

She groaned a reply.

"Are you saying you 'feel like shit'?" He chuckled when he used her usual words.

"Damn, right. JARVIS, please draw the thin curtains." The room went dim. She took a deep breath. "How did you end up here?"

Loki frowned. "You don't remember?" She mumbled inaudibly, still not removing her hands. "You asked me to stay." He pulled back strands of her hair from her face.

"I did?" He then brushed his thumb on her face. She dropped her hands and stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry. I was too drunk."

"It doesn't matter. At least you got drunk inside the tower, not anywhere else because I'm not saving you."

Stella shot him a look. "Heyyyy, I didn't ask to be saved. Who even told you to save me?"

The question was asked lightly but it landed with a thud inside him. No one commanded Loki to save her. It was out of his volition that he would go and defend Stella from any harm. He knew it was unusual; he stopped caring for anyone after he found out the secrets his family kept from him. Now he cares for one, a half-Midgardian, half-Greek goddess.

"I just don't want any harm to come your way, that's all," he said as he stared at the ceiling while absent-mindedly playing with her hair. "But how can a guardian of the realms manage to get herself drunk? I always wondered."

"I bet you guys get drunk too."

"That's a thing for Thor. As for me, I don't give into intoxication that much."

"You don't like getting drunk?"

"Yes, I don't. Do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe? A moment's bliss when you forget everything."

"What do you want to forget?" He glanced at her.

She continued staring at the ceiling. She doesn't even know what to forget. What can she forget if she can only remember bits and pieces of her childhood? How can she forget about memories that she even wasn't sure if it happened or it was a fabricated lie she was conditioned to believe?

She sighed. “You’re giving me an existential crisis right now. I just want to deal with this hangover.”

Loki moved his arm that’s tucked under Stella’s head and raked his glowing fingers through her hair. “I can fix that so you can concentrate on your existential crisis.”

Stella held his hand and lifted it off her. “No, no. I want to feel the pain as a reminder not to drink too much next time.”

“Aren’t you a sadist…”

Their fingers interlocked with each other. Stella closed her eyes, listening to Loki breathing beside her. "I don't even know if I have something to forget,” she answered his question.

Maybe she drinks to remember. But then again, like last night, being intoxicated can mask a few minutes, even hours, of an event.

Then she remembered the reason why she’s having a hangover. She was talking to Natasha about her feelings for Loki. She wanted to sort out her feelings for him, see if they’re real. She blinked through the pain in her head. But it’s too late, she has asked him to stay in her bed over the night. Now he’s here, his arms around her, he’s playing with her hair, he’s holding her hand.

_Maybe Natasha’s right. Maybe Loki feels the same way as I do._

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"Nothing." _Everything. Especially this. Us_. She turned to nuzzle on his side again. “How was your sleep? Was I moving around too much? I tend to do that.” 

“It was peaceful.” It was the first time Loki had a full night’s rest. A night without nightmares nor thoughts and voices disturbing his peace. He never knew peace until last night. He thought it was because he’s comfortable being around Stella. His fingers hovered lazily on her back. “You weren’t moving much the whole night. How about you?”

“I have no idea.” She giggled. “I passed out and then I woke up. It doesn’t even feel like I was sleeping.” Loki laughed lightly with her. “This feels nice.”

“You’re starting to like this too much, I’ve noticed.”

“It’s not my fault you give good cuddles. Bet you gave cuddles to a lot of people back in the days. Maybe a hundred of them.”

“They don’t,” he said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“They don’t stay.”

Their eyes met. “I’m right here.” He smiled softly, knowing what she meant, and his hand traversed down to her back. “Mmhmm. It’s like I don’t want to leave.”

“Then don’t,” he whispered.

She buried her face on his left pectoral. “5 more minutes,” she pleaded.

“I can let you stay like this for more than 5 minutes.”

“But other tasks are screaming for me to work on them.” Came her muffled reply.

“Then do them later?” He suggested. Stella lifted her hand to dance on his torso. He held her hand with his right and interlaced his fingers into hers. He realized he could do this forever with her: holding her hand, waking up next to her, seeing her face first thing in the morning. He sighed before continuing. “I wanna tell you something.”

Stella’s eyes opened wide. _Is this it?_ She looked up to him.

Loki swallowed before speaking. “I…I actually like staying like this with you.”

Stella stared at him, trying to decipher what he meant. _That doesn’t mean he likes me, right? It could be, he likes being like this platonically, right?_

She smirked. “Is it comfortable?”

That wasn’t what Loki meant, but he said yes. He was not even sure if Stella felt the same way as he did. He wanted to tell her everything.

Stella’s phone beeped. "We should get going." She pushed herself off him but she collapsed. "Fuck!" The world spins around her. He helped her stand. "I'm never gonna drink again."

"Oh, really?" He playfully hissed.

She looked up at him. "For real." He gave her an unimpressed look and she laughed. "Fine, there's no winning around you." She picked up her phone. Loki walked to the window.

`From: Bruce Banner`  
`Message:`  
`We found a tracker embedded on Jericho’s wrist. We believe it is still transmitting. Send me a message if you’re free to check on it.`

Stella frowned. “What is it?” He asked.

Stella placed her phone back on the bedside table and stood up to stretch. “They found an active tracker on Jericho’s wrist. It could be our key to our next move.” She tried to stabilize herself. Loki approached her and held her by the waist. “I’m good, I’m good,” she assured him, stroking his arm.

He studied her. She looked disheveled and her skin was kinda dry. “Are you sure you can meet Banner today? You look dehydrated.”

“I am parched.” She moved to walk to her mini-fridge. 

“Let me get you some.” Loki let go of her to get her a glass of water. Stella followed him to the mini pantry. “What are you planning to do today? Aside from meeting Banner?”

Stella downed the water before answering. “Take a bath, get some breakfast, meet Banner, check on Jericho to see if we can extract more information from him, and -” she pointed a finger at him - “we still have to update.”

Loki was impressed Stella could switch on her Detective Lords mode anytime she wants. Despite spending the night curled up, helpless and drunk, next to him.

“Okay, I’ll prepare for the day as well. Would you want us to go get breakfast together?”

Stella smiled. “Sure.” Loki ambled closer to her, placing a hand at the small of her back and kissing the top of her head before he left her room. When Stella heard the click of her door, telling her that the door has been closed, she let out a giddy shriek and started hopping in place like a kid who won a huge stuffed toy in the fair.

Her hangover subsided after taking a bath, thanks to her demigod-level healing capacity. Stella grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on: a white, short-sleeved, buttoned shirt with black lines crossing on each other. Another plunge and she grabbed a black, lace bralette she bought as a set while she was wandering around Manhattan one afternoon. Of course, she’s going to wear the set today since she was feeling good about herself. She then pulled a pair of light denim straight cut jeans that are until her ankles, then slipped on her black loafers. Put on some makeup, grabbed her phone, watch, and necklace, then she’s out of her room.

Before she went to Loki’s door, she stopped by Natasha’s and knocked. There was no reply. “JARVIS, where’s Nat?”

“Agent Romanoff is on the 73rd floor.”

“Thanks!” Stella moved to Loki’s door. The door opened before she could knock, revealing Loki wearing a black, buttoned shirt, sleeves folded up to his elbows, tucked in a pair of dark blue slacks, black leather belt, and a pair of dark brown monk shoes. “Wow.” She exhaled through her gaping mouth.

Loki tapped her chin with a finger. “Close that or else it’ll fall.”

She giggled. “I missed that when you were gone. Let’s go?”

He nodded and let her lead the way. He noticed that there was a change of energy in the way she walks. “How are you feeling?”

“The hangover has eased a little, though I still feel dehydrated and light-headed.”

The elevator doors closed. “You need to eat.” He slithered his hand on her back and she leaned on him.

“Yeah. I hope there’s soup. It feels like the first time I woke up after that night, except there’s alcohol in my body.”

“You were not blessed by Dionysus, then?” He joked.

Stella looked up at him. “You know Dionysus?”

Loki smiled fondly. “Not really. But I helped Hermes extract the alcohol from his wine one time.”

Stella laughed. “You and Hermes were the first ones who made alcohol-free wine?”

“I think so. It was all Hermes’ idea.” Stella felt Loki relax beside her. “I never became friends with Dionysus. He would always go into this frenzied sermon about anything he could think of.”

“He’s the god of winemaking, what else can you expect?” Loki laughed. The LED panel showed them their floor destination and he let go of Stella, a silent agreement that whatever they have right now, they can’t let the others know.

Natasha was slouching on the dining table, a pair of sunglasses on, and slowly sipping her tomato juice. “Good morning, Nat,” Stella said as she approached the table. Loki went to the coffee machine.

Natasha tilted her head and as much as she wanted to smile because Stella arrived with Loki and they looked happy with each other’s company, she just managed a groan and a small jerk of her head, sending another wave of nausea.

“How could you look less beaten up than me? Is it because you’re a demigod?” Natasha grumbled.

“I think so.” Stella settled in front of her, taking a sip of the tomato juice she grabbed from the fridge.

“They’re making chicken noodle soup. I asked for it when I woke up feeling like shit,” she informed Stella.

“Great, I wanted some soup.”

Natasha lowered her glasses. “So, what’s up?” She jerked her head to the side, to the direction where Loki was.

Stella smiled and bit her lower lip. “We’ll talk later.”

“Is it good or bad? Did you say anything?” Stella’s face crunched and she waved her hand. Natasha let go of her glasses, making it drop on her nose. “Don’t let this wait for too long, Lords.”

Stella sighed and drummed her fingers on the table. “I’ll try.”

Natasha moved to grab something from the seat next to her. She placed a small paper bag in front of Stella. “Since you were worried about...y’know.” Stella opened the bag and saw a pad of Plan B pills. “Though I suggest seeing a doctor. You can ask Pepper for the best doctors in town.”

“Thanks. Let’s hope this works on demigods and Asgardians.” Stella folded the mouth of the bag and it disappeared into her subspace. “How about your doctor?”

The other woman smirked. “I don’t need one.”

“You need to have yourself checked once in a while, Nat,” Stella said in concern, although she wasn’t even having herself checked even before. She thought of doing it now, especially that she wanted to be in a relationship.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Natasha supported her heavy head with her arm perched on the table. “My head hurts so bad I want someone to cut it off.”

“I can do that.”

Natasha pulled her sunglasses down to throw a menacing look at Loki. Stella looked at him like he was serious. “I don’t want you to do it. Call Clint and ask him to do it.”

“What is happening?” Stella was unsure.

“No, I’m just kidding. I’m not cutting off Agent Romanoff’s head unless she begs. May I?” Loki asked Natasha.

Natasha looked up to him then to Stella, fighting the urge to smirk. “Sure. Though I’m still not going to beg for you to cut my head.”

Loki snickered then sat beside Stella. “I was going to ask you if you wanted coffee, but I was thinking caffeine will make your hangover worse,” he told her.

“I’m good with my tomato juice, thanks.”

One of the staff excused himself and brought them their breakfast: chicken noodle soup for the hungover women, and pancakes with fruits and a few strips of bacon for Loki.

Most of their time at the dining table was spent in silence, with Natasha pausing, having a moment to stabilize herself. “I have a feeling I might do the same thing you did later if I don’t get the answers that I wanted.” Natasha murmured after a little while.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “What does she mean?” He asked Stella.

“Stella had a fistfight with Jericho during the first time she tried to interrogate him. Maybe today I will be one who might cut someone’s head off.” Natasha answered him. “Was it the first or the second?” She then asked Stella.

“First.” Stella then remembered what she had to tell the rest of them. “Are you ready to talk about something serious?” She asked them.

“Go. Hit it. I’m all ears.” Natasha mumbled.

“So, I found out the reasons why Jericho was sent here. First, and the obvious one, is to steal the scepter. The second one is to use the scepter on me so I can work with them. Third, Jericho has an active tracker embedded on his wrist.”

Natasha dropped her spoon, clanging into her bowl, and took off her sunglasses, her eyes already sending daggers. Loki froze beside her, clenching his jaw. Fear crept through Stella’s veins when she was on the receiving end of Natasha’s glares but she did not let it show.

“They know.” Loki finally talked.

Natasha looked at him. “They know what?”

“They know how to use it,” he continued.

Stella nodded. “Tony thinks someone from the people who worked for you back in 2012 is also working for Ares. I say it could be a demigod. But the thing is, I am not sure if Ares employed mortals.”

“Mortals can be used if they’re gullible enough,” Loki added.

“Is it Selvig? It can’t be Clint.” Natasha inserted.

“Agent Barton has cleared Dr. Selvig in this case,” Stella replied. “I’ll send a request for the list of the people who worked for Loki back in 2012.”

“What about the tracker?” Natasha folded her arms on the table.

“Doc Banner texted me about it this morning. We still have to meet to talk about it.”

Natasha nodded. “Where’s the scepter?” Loki asked, almost a growl. Stella looked down on her bowl as she felt a cold sensation wash over her when she heard his voice.

“It’s locked up.” Natasha scanned behind Stella and Loki to check if the strangers that were with them on the floor were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. “Somewhere downstairs.”

“It should be locked for good. I don’t want anyone, not even me, to be near it,” he commanded.

“It’s done,” Stella told him. “Tony did that right after the attack.”

Natasha started to stand. “We have to interrogate Castle today. I need you two to be there.”

“Before heading down there, can we meet up with Bruce first?”

Natasha nodded. “I’ll use the truth serum if he still refuses to speak.” She left them in a hurry.

Stella realized Loki was already gripping on his utensils so hard that the skin on his knuckles became paler than usual. She placed a hand on his thigh and gently stroked it. She looked behind them only to find out that they were the only ones on the floor. “Calm down now, we got this under control,” she soothingly murmured. As if there was a switch, Loki’s eyes softened and he loosened his grip on the utensils. He let them go and they were deformed. “Yeah, you owe Stark a fork and a knife,” she joked.

“I don’t want us to be near it anymore.” There was a hint of fear in his voice. “I don’t want you to get hurt, too.”

“We’re not,” she reassured him. “And they won’t keep us apart anymore.”

“Bold of you to assume that.”

“I’m not afraid of them.”

He held her hand that was stroking his thigh. “May I know why?”

Her lips curved upwards as he glanced at her. “I have my energy back. And we have each other.”

* * *

After breakfast, Stella, Loki, and Natasha were waiting at the couches outside Bruce’s lab. 5 minutes passed by and the elevator doors opened to reveal Bruce. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed Loki. “Wow, you’re back from the dead.”

Loki slightly raised his head. “Banner.” His lip twitched upward.

“Okay.” He shook his hands, relieving himself of the stress, and walked to the door of the lab, scanning his ID card on the door panel. “Shall we?” Everyone entered the lab. “So, you told them?” He asked Stella.

“Yeah. It might be better to find out where it’s tracking before Natasha goes in for another round of interrogation.” Stella sat down on a metal stool.

Bruce nodded and stopped by a desk with a 13”x13”x13” glass box that housed a small chip attached to a 4”x4” glass slide. He typed something on the keyboard and windows appeared on the glass screen in front of him.

“How did you extract the tracker?” Natasha asked while studying it behind the glass.

“I thought of running scans for foreign elements on Castle, and that showed up.” Loki and Stella moved to sit right in front of Bruce. “We sedated him and extracted that.” He pressed a button and a map showed up on the screen.

“Do you have any other information on what else that chip can collect?” Loki asked.

“And what is this glass made of? Is this sound-proof?” Stella tapped the glass.

Bruce scrunched his nose. “Why would you ask if it’s sound-proof?”

“Wild thought, but it might be listening to us?” She asked quietly.

“I don’t think that’s possible.” Bruce adjusted his glasses and continued typing. “So far, this one works as a tracker and nothing else.” The map zoomed in to North America, then it moved to the west side until a red dot appeared in the middle of… “The Mojave desert?” The red dot glowed steadily on the barren map. He pressed another button, nothing happened. He pressed the same button again, nothing happened. He started typing some commands but nothing happened. “This should show us a composite image now.”

“Does that mean they have shielded themselves from the satellites?” Loki asked.

Bruce nodded. “That’s the most probable reason we have. But the fact that this -” he pointed at the chip - “is transmitting something and it led us to this means that it’s a possible location.”

“What if it’s the same facility we checked in Nevada?” Natasha wondered.

“There are no other ways but to check in person,” Loki answered.

“We don’t have a hiding ground in the Mojave. You can see everything. They can see you,” she said.

“We can do that. We can hide.” Stella said.

Natasha shifted on her feet, considering the possibility. “Though it can be a trap.” 

“Since the satellites can’t give us a live image, that’s the only option we have,” Bruce confirmed. “What do we want to do here?”

“See if it has the tesseract, or Ares, or both. How’s the global scan?” Stella said.

“Tony’s still amplifying the tower’s energy and adding more satellites. He needs another 50% to power up the arc reactor. Might take a little more time for that. Rhodes is also on it.”

Natasha sat on the stool. “This can be an information extraction mission. But what if Ares is here?”

“That’s why the best option is for the two of us -” Stella gestured to herself and Loki - “to be there. We can go zero.”

Loki crossed his arms on his chest and stroked his lip with a finger. “This is very tricky.”

Stella smirked, amused. “Coming from you?”

“I agree with Agent Romanoff, we can be walking in on a trap. No doubt we can get ourselves out of it in no time but what if there’s something that they have to use against our energies? We can’t afford to be powerless when we have to face someone who’s dealing with dark magic.” Loki told them.

“How about Thor?” Natasha suggested.

“That big oaf does not know what stealth means.” Loki chided.

“How about you?” Stella gestured to Natasha. “You and Sam?”

“I can do it.” Natasha shrugged. “And, yeah, we’ll probably need Sam.”

Bruce scratched his chin. “I believe it’s best to talk to everyone about this.”

Natasha nodded. “Okay, so we’ll head to Jericho’s floor, get the information needed, then we can convene within 12 hours.”

* * *

Natasha, Stella, and Loki showed up on the 41st floor and they were surprised to see Steve waiting for them there.

“Tony called Sam to check on the drone he’s working on for the EXO-7 Falcon,” he reported to Natasha. “And someone told me Loki is back.” He glanced at the god, who smirked mischievously.

“For better and for worse, he’s back.” Natasha quipped. “But we have someone badder than Loki to handle right now.” She gestured at the monitor showing Jericho lying down on the cot in the holding room.

“Why are you talking about me like I’m not standing here with you in this room?” Loki sighed. Stella stifled a giggle. “And why are you laughing? I thought we’re in this together?”

Stella crossed an arm on her stomach and propped an elbow to cover her mouth with her hand. “Yeah, you’re right. We are.” She bit her lip. Loki folded his arms on his chest, frowning at Stella, who was giving him a naughty glance then composed herself in a second.

“Does Steve know?” Natasha asked Stella.

Steve brought his hands to his waist. “Know what?” His gaze veered from Natasha to Stella.

“Not yet. This is the first time I saw him since I realized that.” Stella looked at Steve. “Jericho’s here to use the scepter on me. They want me to work for them.”

“Oh, word.” He sighed in worry. Beside Stella, Loki’s lips were shut in a tight line. “But it’s locked up now, right?” The three of them nodded in unison.

“We really need to sit down and talk about this. We have been discovering a lot of things.” Natasha prepared herself for her interrogation with Jericho, inserting an earbud. She nodded to Stella, who typed something on the laptop. She gave her a thumbs up. “Ladies and gents, sit back, and relax.” She winked at them before entering the room.

Jericho’s head rose when he heard the door on the other side of the tinted glass open and closed. He smirked as he stood up and walked to the glass. The tint disappeared. “Of course.” He grinned. “She would let you do it.”

“I believe you already know me. This is the second time we have met.” Natasha clasped her hands behind her.

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved his hand. “Whatever. So, what do you want? The same things she wants?” He jutted his thumb to the side.

“And more.” Natasha was sending him daggers with her eyes but Jericho was unaffected. “We found an active tracker in you.” She released her hands.

Jericho pulled up the sleeve of his black sweater and showed her his wrist. “This? Yeah, I knew you guys extracted it from me.” His voice dropped, so did his shoulders. In the other room, Stella pulled up a chair and sat. She zoomed in on Jericho’s demeanor for a second there. Her forehead scrunched as she watched. “Thanks, though.” Jericho made a small jerk with his head.

Loki and Stella looked at each other. This was Steve’s first time to observe and he didn’t know what was happening.

“Is playing the victim one of his tactics?” Loki asked Stella.

“It depends on the situation.”

Natasha also noticed the small shift in his attitude. She waited for him to release the sleeve of his sweater before continuing. “Do you know where the tracker transmits?”

Jericho broadened his shoulders. “I thought you already found that out by now? Or you just want to confirm it to me?” He waited for Natasha to speak. “Oh, it’s that.”

Natasha mentally rolled her eyes. “What is in the Mojave desert? Have you been there?”

Jericho closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I know she’s out there.”

“Who’s out where?” Steve muttered. There were a lot of questions running through Steve’s mind while the interrogation was going on. He waited for Stella or Loki to say something.

Loki, on the other hand, has his full attention on the screen when he hears Jericho say that line.

Stella already knew what Jericho was talking about.

“Who is out there?” Natasha asked.

Jericho opened his eyes. “Stella Lords. The guardian. She’s in the other room.”

Loki placed a hand on Stella’s back, earning an eyebrow raise from Steve.

“How can you tell?” Natasha continued.

“You know -” he started pacing the glass as he explained - “we were trained by Athena since we were children. We grew up together. Thus, we were trained to feel each other’s energies, to be familiar with each other’s existence, so we wouldn’t get lost on the battlefield. Though it was a disadvantage when we played hide-and-seek.” A fond smile grew on Stella’s face as she remembered. “We can detect each other and we would know if the other is hurt because we’ll feel the same pain each was feeling. So, yes, you could say I felt her period pains as well.” He chuckled, then it disappeared. “I don’t know if she felt the same way.”

Loki removed his hand from Stella. She looked down from the screen when she felt Loki’s absence from her back.

“I don’t. I never did.” Stella muttered gravely.

“She was supposed to detect me. She can do that. But I don’t know if she can still do that after she left to become a guardian.” Jericho suddenly stopped pacing. His eyes widened and his mouth made an o shape. “I can feel another energy. Don’t you know that I can also detect other supernatural energies?” He said, excited. “Is that… Is Loki back?” He didn’t wait for Natasha to reply. “You know, the funny thing is, I knew Loki was my father’s friend. It would be an honor to meet him one day.”

Loki crossed his arms on his chest.

“But, what’s so messed up is why Athena chose him to work with the guardian? I don’t get it. Athena could’ve chosen me, I didn’t try to blow up a country.”

Loki clenched his jaws.

“And here comes Lords telling me that it wasn’t him who attacked New York. Tsk.” Jericho chuckled.

Loki turned away from the screen and closed his eyes. The battle was a distant memory for him now, some of the events during that day are even hazy. But the things he had endured with the Chitauri were crystal clear. That year and everything that happened to him was the main act of his nightmares. And listening to Jericho brought back everything.

“What happened in Kalambaka? There are still no remains that have been retrieved.” Natasha continued.

“Oh, you too? Damn.” He snickered.

Stella couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed herself from the table and transformed into her armor, sans her swords. The Aresian dagger attached to her right thigh.

Loki turned to her. “Stella, what are you doing?”

“I’m going in.”

Loki grabbed her hand. “No. Stay here,” he snarled.

Stella looked at him, then pressed a button on the panel. She bent to the microphone. “Are we going to use the truth serum?” Natasha slowly brought down two fingers - signifying no. Stella shook her head. “We aren’t going anywhere with this.”

“Are you hiding something?” Loki suddenly asked her.

Stella gasped. “No!” She looked at Loki when he tightened his grip on her. Loki took a moment to look at her before releasing her. Stella turned to Steve, who was quietly observing everything. “Look, I am not working for Ares. I’ll never will,” she said, throwing a glance at Loki.

“We should get Nat back in here,” Steve suggested.

Stella pressed a button on the panel. “Nat, mind if you come back here?”

Natasha pressed a button on the panel that darkened the glass separating her and Jericho and left the room. “What’s up?” She asked when she closed the door behind her.

“How many truth serums do we have?” Stella immediately inquired.

“A substantial amount. Are we...are you…?” 

Stella nodded. “We won’t go anywhere if we continue like this. How does the serum work?”

“It will be diffused through the ventilation system. It will take 3 minutes to take effect. Lasts 2 hours.” Natasha’s finger was hovering on a button. “Who’s going in?”

“I will,” Stella replied as she placed an earbud.

“Are you sure?” Loki asked her, to which she glanced at him. “I can go in there.”

“No. I’ll do this.” Stella motioned to Natasha to press the button. The latter did and a loading bar appeared on screen, telling them the percent of truth serum that was added to the atmosphere of Jericho’s cell. They waited for the 3rd-minute mark. 30 seconds left in the timer and Stella entered the holding room. Steve excused himself and left the floor.

“And you finally decided to show up, huh.” They heard Jericho say. Stella pressed the button for the tint to disappear. “Hello, sister.”

Stella’s jaws clenched. She lifted her chin. “Why did Ares steal the tesseract?” There was no time for formalities and the likes.

“Oh, you know his fascination with weapons.”

“Of course. Where is it now?”

Jericho pouted. “That, I don’t know.” It came out easily from him.

Stella’s brows furrowed. “How come you don’t know? You’re supposed to become a commander, right?”

Jericho’s posture stiffened. He placed his hands behind him. “No, no, no. I know...I…” He struggled to spurt out the words. “I know...nothing...I know…!” He raised a finger as he continued babbling incoherently. “What have you done, Lords?!” He hissed, wide-eyed.

Natasha chewed her inner cheek, thinking what Jericho was trying to say. “Is he trying to say he doesn’t know anything?” She asked Loki.

“Possibly. The truth serum is already working, yes?”

“It should be.”

Stella slightly shrugged. “Nothing. But, do you know any plans he made?”

“No, I don’t,” Jericho replied without any difficulty.

Stella raised an eyebrow. “Ares did not brief you with any plan?”

“Look, the only plan I know is to infiltrate this tower, get the scepter, and use it to control you. That’s it.” Jericho brought his hands to cover his gaping mouth as he looked at Stella with wide eyes. “Lords, what is happening?” He asked in a grave voice.

In the other room, Loki closed his eyes, controlling himself from hissing a curse.

“What’s in the Mojave desert? Your tracker transmits to a particular location there.”

Jericho’s eyes were going dark, and Stella knew that he was working against the truth serum. This was a huge test for him. He took a deep breath. “Ares is not an enemy, Stella.”

“You’re not answering my question, Castle.”

“He’s an ally. He’s even your brother, for crying out loud. You’re gonna do that to your brother?” He paced his room.

“ _He’s trying to bypass the serum_ ,” Natasha said. Stella heard it through her earbud.

“Jericho, I want my questions answered.”

“And I want mine answered as well. Are you going to help your brother?” Jericho’s voice went down a note lower.

“He commanded his demigod son to attack Kalambaka. And I told you I wouldn’t associate myself to someone who murders the innocent.”

“Is that so?” He walked to the glass separating them, his eyes looking down at her, dark and menacing. “You might want to check yourself then, Lords. Sounds like you broke a rule yourself.” He winked.

Stella kept her breathing steady. In the other room, Loki’s eyes were intensely fixed on Jericho. His hands firmly curled and his jaw set. He knew Jericho was talking about him.

Stella’s heartbeat raced. She knew Jericho was talking about Loki and she wanted to protect him from whatever their prisoner says.

“Your father will be so disappointed in you.”

“Already disappointed.” He replied nonchalantly. “Yours, on the other hand, would be so disappointed his daughter made friends with a monster.”

Natasha noticed the room they were in started to glow green. She looked at Loki, whose hands were already glowing. “Loki, don’t.”

“Zeus doesn’t even care. And you don’t know what you’re talking about, Castle.”

“Oh really? I don’t? He shouldn’t be even walking around after he blew up New York.”

“ _I administered another dose of truth serum_.”

“And a little birdie told me that you even defended him against his father.” Jericho clapped his hands. “How brave of you. Calling Odin out.”

Loki gulped when he heard that. _So it was true. That happened_. He thought Stella was making it up. But the fact that Jericho knew about it, it means it could be real.

“A word of advice, Lords.” He tapped the glass. “He’s doing this for his own good, Stell. He’s just using you.”

“What good are you doing, then?” Stella sneered.

“Did you really administer the truth serum?” Loki asked Natasha.

Natasha was getting frustrated. “I did! He’s bypassing the serum!”

“This is not about me. This is about you and him.” Jericho pointed at her and to the direction where Loki is. “Be careful with him, sister. He might be using you for more than what he intended to,” he insinuated.

“You know nothing about him.” Stella countered. “I’ve seen him and I know he will not do that.”

The warm sensation filled Loki’s chest once again. He sighed and closed his eyes.

“Oh, have you? Why are you so protective of him, huh?” Jericho barked.

“Because I trust him! I trust him more than you know."

“Stella, snap out of it!” Jericho rebuked. “He is his own weapon, a killer! Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature. He’s a monster!”

“Then what makes you the better person, huh?!” She exclaimed. “What makes Ares better? He’s evil by a hundredfold!” She ran a hand through her hair and raised a finger in front of Jericho. “You don’t tell me what to do! If you’re here trying to get me to work with Ares, it’s never happening.”

“Not so fast, Lords.” Jericho wiggled a finger at her. “We’ll make a criminal out of you yet.”

Stella could feel her cheeks and neck heat up. She badly wanted to beat up Jericho but everyone told her not to.

Loki, in the other room, was confused about why Stella was defending him. Everything that had happened for the past years started to bombard him, to the point that he could feel the claws of The Other piercing his bare skin. Jericho was right - he was a monster. _I am a monster and I was meant to. I am no different than Ares_. He left the room, banging the door as he passed.

“Loki!” Natasha ran after him but he was nowhere to be found. “Shit!” She went back and pressed the button. “Stella, Loki disappeared.”

Stella tried not to react. “We’re far from done, Castle.” She pressed the button and the glass darkened. She got out of the room. “Where’s he?” She urgently asked Natasha.

“I have no idea. Jarvis?”

“Mr. Loki Odinson is in his room.”

“Thanks!” Stella entered the corridor and translocated to their floor. She stopped outside Loki’s door and knocked. “Loki, it’s Stella.”

“What do you want?” He snarled from the other side.

She held onto the door frame, her forehead leaning on the door. “Uh, I know you heard what Jericho said. I just want to talk it out.”

The door opened. She looked up, a fuming Loki met her gaze. “Why? What he said was true, Lords.” He said darkly. “I told you, you shouldn’t have trusted me.”

“There’s no other reason not to trust you.”

“Stella, he’s right. I am a monster.”

“I don’t believe in that.” She pushed the door open. 

Loki stopped it with his foot. “You don’t know who or what I am capable of.”

“Didn’t I tell you that I trusted you? You’re not a monster people perceive you as such?” She looked at him with concern in her eyes. He looked down at her, trying not to feel the sympathy she’s giving him.

“I am more than what you think I am.”

“Then tell me.” She reached out her hand to touch his arm but he pushed her away. She closed her eyes, trying to hide the hurt. “Loki, whatever that is, you can tell me anything.” He entered the room and a green mist enveloped him, changing his Midgardian clothes to his Asgardian robe. Stella followed suit.

When he turned around, Stella took a sharp breath and nodded. “So that’s what you are…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gif not mine.
> 
> I know the people in the gif aren't Loki and Stella but let's imagine it's them hehe
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! ^_^


	23. Away From The Current

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki revealed himself to Stella and she did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the chapter: Be Kind (with Halsey) [Stripped] by Marshmellow; Had Enough by Elliphant; Temperature by Milk; Song #3 by Stone Sour
> 
>  _warning: NSFW_  
>  Okay, regarding this warning, I wanted to surprise you but I was thinking it would be a bad idea. This chapter contains smut. If you're not comfortable with that, you can skip the parts where the smut starts. It ends after the line break. I'll put a detailed summary at the end of the chapter.

  


### Chapter 21: Away From The Current

“I told you. I am not who you think I am.”

Stella held her breath. His skin turned blue and his eyes red. The hues were the kind of blue and red that she has never seen before. Literally out of this world. Intricate notches were lining his cheeks and were also seen on the exposed part of his hands and arms. Much to Loki’s dismay, she was awestruck. He kept his distance from her but she slowly walked closer. “Don’t make a fool out of yourself, Lords.”

“I am not,” she whispered and placed a hand on the exposed part of his arm.

He jerked back, away from her. “Don’t touch me! I can hurt you.” But she moved closer and her hand returned to his. He grabbed her hand, expecting it would turn blue. But she wasn’t screaming in pain. It was still the same. He let go of her, thinking the protection charm on her necklace was working or it’s because she’s half-god.

“You’re not æsir, then?” She asked.

“I am a Jotun. The enemies of the gods. The son of Laufey.” 

“Laufeyson,” she gasped.

He nodded. “The rightful king of Jotunheim, if Odin did not kidnap me after he waged war against Jotunheim. I was kept as a relic for him to keep, just like how he kept the Casket of Ancient Winters in the deep recesses of Asgard. I was made of the monsters from their stories, Lords.” Stella’s brows furrowed in deep concern and a bit of confusion. “Maybe you have not heard the stories of Jotuns, unleashing the cold and freezing the realms, including Midgard. It had happened centuries ago. Odin didn’t want it to happen again thus keeping the casket locked. But -” Loki grinned menacingly - “it was a mistake keeping me. I was born to die. Now I live to destroy.”

Stella noticed that this was not the same Loki she was with for the past days. Not even the same Loki who was holding her when she woke up this morning. His demeanor changed with his whole body. This is the Loki who is in for the kill. The Loki who wants revenge. But for your whole life, you’ve been brought up to believe that there’s a whole race of bad guys and you grow up and realize you were from them - who wouldn’t be enraged over that?

“I understand what happened, but revenge is not the only thing -”

“Stop saying you understand!” Loki roared, but it didn’t make Stella flinch. “You don’t. You were not brought up with lies like me.”

“Listen, I understand why you feel like you need to seek revenge on your father. For your whole life, you were told of the monsters that could get you and then you grow up finding out that you’re one of them.” Loki’s eyes flicked to her when she said her last sentence as if saying ‘how did you know that?’ Stella swallowed. It was a slip of her tongue. She knew Odin resented Loki and she knew Loki would go after Odin in one way or another. She took a step forward since there’s no taking back of words this time. She reached out her hand to his. “Loki, revenge isn’t the only way to go.”

Loki removed his hand from her reach. “How could you say that?” He hissed. “You’ve never been lied to, Lords. Finding out your life is a lie - isn’t that something that can drive you to kill everyone who placed you in this illusion you call your life?!” He was already leaning forward but Stella stood her ground. Angry Loki was scary, especially in his Jotun form, but she was determined to bring him back. “Now tell me why they lied to me all my life since you seem to be clever enough for a mortal.”

Stella looked away, feeling the sting that went through her chest. She looked down and fidgeted on her left bracer. “They don’t lie to you because the truth will hurt your feelings. They lied to you because the truth might provoke you to make choices that won’t serve their interests.”

Loki’s laugh was spiteful. “Good girl,” he sneered.

“Are you sure about this? Are you sure going back and finishing them would make things okay?”

“Aw, any suggestions, little miss Athena?” Loki said mockingly. “You should listen to your best friend, Lords. You’re getting nowhere when you’re with me.”

That was it. Tears started to fall on Stella’s cheek. She didn’t want to break but Loki’s last words were enough to break the barrier of tears. She shifted her face so Loki won’t see her. “So you were just playing?” She said through gritted teeth. “Leading me on...what’s next?” Loki looked at her. “Using me for your wicked games?” Stella turned to face him. “And is this all that is for you?” She doesn’t want Jericho to be right but with the way things are happening right now, it looks like Jericho is winning this bet. “Fuck you, Jericho,” she hissed under her breath.

The bracers disappeared with a blue shimmer and Stella wiped her cheeks with the sleeve of her white suit. She held back her sob and took a few steps away from Loki and now closer to the door that was left open. “Athena has faith in you. I trusted you. Frigga had hope in you.” She looked at him. Loki clenched his jaw and looked away when she said his mother’s name. “I think I never knew you before but I don’t know why I told Odin to spare you from death. It was more of an order than a plea. I know you know that you were bound to be executed after the battle of New York.”

Loki closed his eyes, trying not to remember those agonizing years. But flashes of the torture and Odin’s wrathful gaze appeared in his mind. He suddenly felt a sensation in his chest, that feeling like his chest was being pulled apart to the point of tearing. The blue hue on his skin disappeared inch by inch as he transformed back to his æsir form.

“So we were never really in this together.” She glanced at him. Loki started to regret unleashing his anger on her but Stella couldn’t see this through the tears. He was meant to restart his life but hearing Jericho made him forget his plans. “I thought agreeing to this you’ve chosen to become better, to become who you really are. But it looks like this is who you are.” Stella sniffed harshly. “God of lies, Silvertongue, indeed,” she said through gritted teeth.

Loki started to move closer to her. “Stella…”

She raised her hand, stopping him. “No, Loki. You don’t owe me anything, my Prince.” She slowly bowed her head. “I’m just a mortal. You were right, I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

He ran his hand through his hair, his frustration was slowly rising within him. His Silvertongue and anger got the best of him. His whole emotions were uncontrolled. This is why he didn’t want to be attached to anyone: it makes him act irrationally. “Stella,” he said for the second time and he had succeeded in catching her full attention. Seeing her red, puffy eyes made him hate himself. “I was not meant to be king of Asgard.” He started, pacing to her as he explained. “It was always Thor because he was the firstborn, a warrior, and, most importantly, a full-blooded Odinson. I destroyed Jotun for my father, but I ended up disappointing him and my brother. I thought it would make me equal among them. All I wanted was to be their equal, Lords.”

“And revenge is your way to go?” Loki’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I trusted you because I thought I could see the goodness in you. Turns out it was just an illusion. It was, right?” He just gazed at her. “Tell me it was!”

_It wasn’t._

But he didn’t reply.

Stella came to conclude that he was indeed leading her on. She shook her head as she chuckled sadly, disappointedly, at herself. “It’s a shame I fell for you. I bet you saw everything I wished for when you were dead.”

Loki looked up to her, seeing her cheeks turned into crimson on her admission.

“Just...I’m in the other room if you need me. If ever you need me.” She turned her back on him and walked to the door, her head down.

Loki flicked his hand and closed the door with his magic. Stella jerked and turned the knob, finding it locked with magic. She used her magic to counter his but it was unsuccessful. “Loki, let me out,” she said as she whipped on her heels but she fell back on the door when she found Loki already standing behind her.

“Stella, it was not my intention to do such a thing.” He held her arms but she pushed him away, her back was already flat on the door.

“Loki, just, stop. Enough. You just intentionally or unintentionally proved to me that you’re nothing but a trickster.”

“I told you it was not my intention!” He hissed, making Stella cower. He moved back, giving her space. He raised his hand in defeat. “Stella, I’m sorry,” he calmly said, trying to say it as sincerely as possible.

Stella’s fist was still up, covering her mouth, while her other hand was on the knob. Her bug eyes were locked on him, anticipating his next moves.

“Stella, listen. This time, I am telling the truth. I made a choice long before you saved me from Ares. Yes, I did decide to be the master of my fate. Yes, revenge was on my mind the whole time. But when Athena asked Odin to work with Olympus and specifically asked me to help, I used that opportunity to seize my destiny. This was a possibility that I would be far enough from Odin’s reach. I believe you know the deal.”

“You would be spared from your lifetime imprisonment or execution as long as you help bring Ares back to Olympus’ court,” Stella muttered under her breath.

Loki nodded. “I didn’t know that it was a choice of good and evil. I didn’t know taking that path Athena gave was a good choice. All I was thinking was getting away from the punishment. And then I met you.”

She brought her gaze up and their eyes locked. Her hands went behind her and she placed her palms flat on the door.

Loki took a step closer. “It wasn’t my intention to be attached in any form but here you are.” He tenderly caressed her cheek with a curled finger, drying the remaining tears on her face. She shrunk upon his touch but there was no more space to move away from.

“How in the world will I know you’re not lying to me?”

Loki reached out for her hands and held them together in his. He then brought them to his lips and kissed. “Listen to me. If you have not noticed, you made me be attached to you. That’s why I tried protecting you, even letting you stab me to death,” he said in a different tone now. Different from the earlier one. This sounded like the Loki Stella woke up to.

Stella’s lips parted. She was still glued to the wall, unmoving. Her hands were already sweating and shaking slightly. Her heartbeat was already shaking her trachea, she was pretty sure Loki could hear it. With the way Loki looked at her, she was sure this leads to something - except if he was leading her on.

Loki let go of her hands. His left cupped her cheek while his right slithered on her hips, pulling her closer to him. Stella let out a light gasp when he pulled her from the door. Loki gently tilted her face up to him and their lips met. Loki’s lips moved gently against hers, like asking permission to go deeper. The tip of his tongue traced her lower lip and she opened her mouth a little more. But he didn’t go in right away. He was coaxing her to do the same. Stella was still a little bit hesitant to do it and distracted by her heartbeat, but she did, the tip of her tongue meeting his halfway.

Stella pulled away when she felt her tears coming up once again. Her hands flattened against the leathered chest of his and dropped her head, biting her lower lip as she muffled her sobs.

“Stella.” Loki held her on her shoulders, face scrunched in concern. “Is there something wrong? I did something wrong, didn’t I?”

“I hate you,” she whispered. He frowned. She stood straight and leaned on the wall. “How could you do this to me? You tell me you want to protect me, do all those things, tell me that you trust me, and then suddenly you still want to seek revenge, and then abandon that and tell me you like me...is it because I told you that I like you?”

“Stella, please…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want you to change for me. You’re a god and I’m just a heartbeat.”

Loki was taken aback. He brought his hand to his face when he felt his tears threatening to appear. He composed himself and he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Stella, please. Believe me when I say I love you.”

Stella froze. Then she slowly looked up. He was sincere. She could feel and see it on his face.

“I wouldn’t do all those things if I didn’t love you. I could even see you in my future. That’s how I want you in my life.” He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry it had to go this way, my love.”

Fresh tears fell from her eyes when she heard him. She bit her lip. She was overjoyed. But she didn’t expect the confession to be like this. It was a mess. “Yeah.” Stella choked on her tears. She giggled as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Loki, I fell in love with you too.”

The corners of his lips twitched upward. “I know.”

Stella tiptoed and her lips sought his. Loki caught her and wrapped his arms on her waist. She locked her hands behind his neck as they shared a happy, passionate kiss, them smiling and giggling against each other’s mouth.

Stella pulled back a bit. “So, what’s next?”

“Would you want to move away from the door and take this somewhere comfortable?” He winked and she laughed. Taking that as a yes, Loki bent his knees and grabbed her by the back of her thighs. Stella squealed and tightened her grip on his shoulders. He then lifted her off the floor, his hands gripping her butt. Stella wrapped her legs around his waist and started kissing his jawline and an exposed part of his neck. Loki snatched kisses from her while they sauntered to his bed. “You ready to fall?”

“I’ve already fallen for you,” she said meekly, like a highschool girl who admitted her feelings for the first time.

He giggled and placed his knee on the bed for support. Stella slid her legs off his waist slowly as he lowered her to the bed. She let go of him and she found herself lying on Loki’s black silk sheet-covered bed. She sat and raised a hand to rest on his chest. Her hand glowed blue. Loki held her hand and a mix of blue and green mist covered him, swapping his leather outfit to just black sweatpants. Stella’s breath hitched upon seeing Loki’s chiseled torso.

Loki lowered himself down on her, their lips reuniting once more. A blue hue covered Stella, changing her armor suit into a large white cotton shirt with her black underwear underneath, leaving her braided bun. They crawled to the upper half of the bed, managing not to break the kiss. Stella perched herself on her elbows for support.

Loki could hear how loud Stella’s heart was beating. He looked at her and straddled her legs. “Trust me, my love. I won’t hurt you.” His hand glided to the left side of her chest, feeling her heartbeat. Stella was looking at him bug-eyed, nervous, but at the same time excited over the whole ordeal. “Just tell me if it hurts. I promise to be gentle.” Her lips curved upward and she nodded. Loki peppered her with kisses from her forehead down to her lips. His hand went under her back and he guided her down to the bed. He then transferred to her neck, kissing and nibbling on her skin, making her moan upon the pressure.

Stella had her hands all over him, hovering on his back and front, familiarizing herself with every dip and curve of him. She arched her back to him and gasped his name when he sank his teeth into the soft skin at the base of her neck. She felt her center filling up with her warm juices, her pussy aching to be touched. She rubbed her thighs together, giving herself a temporary relief.

Loki’s hand sauntered on her thigh, then up under her shirt, his fingers finding her perked nipple. When he thumbed her breast, Stella buried her face into his hair, taking in his scent: something musky and minty, something strong but gentle, something sexy and uniquely Loki. He then pulled her shirt off her and when they removed it, he sat to admire her.

Stella peeked and she covered her scar-covered torso when she noticed Loki studying her. “I know it doesn’t look pleasant,” she said.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re beautiful even with these scars.” He traced each of them, ending on the longest scar on her side - the stubborn stab wound from months ago. She slowly let go of the shame as she moved her hands to her side. He moved and when he hovered above her once again, he kissed his way to her chest until he teased her right nipple with the tip of his tongue. Stella grabbed a handful of his hair, moaning on contact. His hand was on the other breast while his mouth was on the other. After a while he swapped places, closing his eyes as he listened to Stella’s arousing moans.

Stella’s lids fluttered open when she felt Loki going lower. She perched up her elbows and saw Loki looking back at her through his lashes, kissing each of her scars, his fingers hooked at the sides of her black underwear. He placed a kiss on her lower abdomen before he pulled her underwear, discarding it to the bench at the foot of the bed. Loki trailed kisses on her thighs, slowly pushing her legs apart. Stella nervously watched him maneuver between her, his warm hand flat on her inner thigh, just a few centimeters from her gaping core, glistening for Loki to see.

“Let me show you how much I love you, darling.” He swiped his thumb on her moistened folds.

“Loki…!” It sent her falling back on the bed. Her hand sought for his that was holding on to the cheek of her ass. Loki intertwined with her hand and he teased her aroused clit with the tip of his nose before running the whole length of his tongue on it. “Fuck!” She gasped, her grip on his hand tightened.

Loki circled her clit with his tongue while his thumb caressed the entrance of her pussy. Stella’s hands traversed to his hair, her nails scratching on his scalp. He moaned against her clit in response. When he felt her relax, he pushed his thumb into her pussy.

“Fuck! Loki!” She fisted his hair and pushed him a little in between her legs.

Pleased with her response, he replaced his thumb with his index finger, curling in her. Stella bucked her hips up to him. “Loki…” She groaned. He added another finger in her as he sucked on her clit. “Ah, shit…!” He curled his fingers, massaging her walls. “Ah, Loki. That feels good,” she managed to say.

“I’m here to make you feel good, love.” He winked at her and quickened his pace. Stella chanted his name in pleasure. He abandoned her clit and nipped on the skin around her center and inner thighs, biting hard enough to leave marks on her.

“Loki...I…”

He glanced up. “Yes, Stella?”

“I can feel it…” She bit her lower lip, stopping herself from whimpering loudly.

“Are you cumming?”

“Yes…”

“Then do it, love. Cum for me.” He curled his fingers, thrusting faster than earlier, and suckled on her clit. Stella’s moans grew louder as she felt the coil of pleasure within her tighten. She grabbed her breast and fondled it.

“Ugh...Loki…Fuck!” She arched her back as she released her orgasm. Loki was still on it, sucking and taking in every drip that came from her. His fingers still pulsing in her. She quivered, her hand grabbing his hair and the other crumpling the silk sheets until her knuckles went pale. She shrieked when she came for the second time, her thighs closing on his head. “Fuck...Loki! Stop...d -”

He slowed down. “Do you want me to stop?” She shook her head and he continued pushing her through another wave of orgasm. She loosened her legs and sat, continuously rocking her hips on his hand. Loki sat on his legs too and hooked his arm on her back, supporting her. His lips crashed into hers and shared a passionate kiss as she came undone.

Stella broke from him when her orgasm subsided. She bit him on the neck when Loki teased her clit and pulled his fingers from her. “Ow,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry.” She kissed the spot where she bit him.

“It’s okay. I like it if you mark me as yours.” He brought his fingers dripping with Stella’s cum into his lips and cleaned it with his tongue. “I love how you taste. It’s like a blessing straight from the gods.” Loki kissed her and she tasted herself on his lips. It was indeed sweet. Stella felt the tremor in the walls of her pussy and she ground her hips on his thigh, giving her pussy the friction it wanted. “Aren’t you an eager little kitten?”

She trailed her fingers up and down his stomach. “I want you, love.” She was reluctant to glide her hands further down but she pushed herself to do it.

Loki closed his eyes and their foreheads met when she rubbed his bulge. He growled when she grabbed him a little. “Darling.” He moved her hand from him. “You’ll have all your life to do that if you want to.” He smirked mischievously. “I want to make love with you right now.” He waved his hand and his sweatpants disappeared, revealing him in all his naked glory.

Stella gawked at how well-endowed Loki is. His cock was already erect and swollen, pre-cum already dripping from its slit. “Oh, good lord,” she whispered.

Loki placed a curled finger under her chin and she looked up at him. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll be gentle. Just tell me if it hurts, okay?”

“Okay,” she responded and kissed him again, tugging his lower lip.

He chuckled and slowly brought them down on the bed. He settled between her legs, held his cock, and aligned himself at her entrance. Stella’s heart was beating fast once more. She looked him in the eyes, waiting. She whined when he teased her folds with the tip, even smudging her already sensitive clit with his pre-cum. Then slowly he pushed himself in her.

Stella cried, grabbing on his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. Loki perched her knees up, opening her more for him. “Loki…” Tears started to fall from her eyes.

“Does it hurt, love?”

She shook her head. Loki pushed further, her cries making him worry. But she smiled at him and told him to go on when she noticed the lines of concern on his face. When he was already hilt-deep in her, he slowly rocked his hips. Stella continued crying, but this time they were already cries of pleasure. When he found his momentum, she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, giving him more access to her.

“I’m cumming…” Stella gasped a few thrusts later. 

“Go on. I’m here for you.” Loki thumbed her clit, encouraging her more to release. He hastened his pace, chasing his orgasm as well.

“Motherf-!” She grunted as her orgasm took her, sending shivers all over her body. She fell back, closing her eyes as she saw bright flashes in her head. Her pussy continually squeezing his cock.

Loki hissed a curse as he released his cum in her. Stella let out a loud moan when Loki flicked her sensitive clit for the last time. When her tremors stopped, he pulled himself slowly from her and he saw their cum dripping from her. He leaned closer to her and kissed the tears from her cheeks. She opened her eyes lazily and giggled. She pulled him in for another kiss.

Loki looked at her after a while. “Hey,” he said with a soft smile.

“Hey,” she croaked back.

His hand slid down to her waist as he settled beside her. “Did I hurt you?” She croaked a no as she slowly shook her head. “But I definitely exhausted you.”

Stella smiled. “That’s one thing for sure.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I must be annoyingly loud. It’s been so long, I forgot how it feels like. Good thing the rooms are soundproof.”

“Don’t be silly. I love hearing your sweet moans and whimpers as I pleasure you.”

Stella felt her pussy moisten again. “Oh, Loki.”

“What? It’s true.” He sat and saw their fluids drying up between her thighs. He conjured a warm, damp towel and wiped Stella’s thighs. She squeaked and grabbed his wrist when he attempted to wipe her pussy.

“Please, I’m sensitive.”

Loki kissed her lower abdomen and softly wiped her center. She sighed at the comforting warmth of the towel. The towel disappeared after he cleaned her and he laid back beside her. He conjured a glass of water and gave it to her. He then slithered his arm under her and she snuggled closer to him after drinking, wrapping her arm on his torso.

“You know I also see you in my future,” she whispered after a while. “I just don’t know how long I’ll be with you.”

He played with her hair. “What do you mean?”

“I’m still a mortal, Loki. I’ll die before you,” she said sadly.

Loki gulped his anxiety down. He knew falling for a mortal was risky. He knew how fragile Midgardians are. He swore never to love another after he left Theo and after the others passed away before him. She was right, she could die sooner or later.

“But you’re the guardian. You should’ve been granted with immortality.”

“I still have to earn it, and it will take a long time for them to give it to me. Not even Athena can grant it.”

“Zeus?”

“He’s the only way.”

“Like Odin.”

Stella’s eyes started to sting. “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to cry again.”

“Oh, dear. My love.” Loki wrapped her in his arms. Stella buried her face on his bare chest. “Let’s focus on the now, Stell.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “The us right now. But don’t worry, I’ll make it work.”

“I just don’t want to lose you again.” He heard her sniffle.

“Oh, love.” He peeked through her hair and she was indeed crying again. “Stella, I’m right here. I went back for you, love.” He conjured a dark green handkerchief and wiped her tears with it. “I’ll never leave your side again. I promise.”

“I love you, Loki.”

“I love you too, Stella.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Can I stay here?”

“You don’t need to ask. You can stay here for as long as you want. Though will you let me in your bed, too?”

She giggled. “Of course.”

* * *

Stella woke up after how many hours. She moved her hand and found that she was hugging Loki the whole time. Her arm felt numb so she pulled it back to her chest. She looked at the man next to her. The black silk blanket was covering half of his body, a part of his torso was exposed. His left arm was under her while his other hand was resting on his stomach.

She pulled the blanket to her chest and perched her elbow to have a proper view of him. The curtains were drawn but there was a sizeable gap enough to let the moonlight illuminate the bed. She admired how vulnerable he looks next to her. She could live with this forever, then she started to imagine the two of them living in the middle of an orchard in the Mediterranean, having a simple, peaceful life. But then again, Loki is a prince, born a royal, would he be okay with simplicity? She tried imagining herself living as royalty next to the prince. She could already feel the back pain from standing straight and stiff. She couldn’t live with that.

Her fingers absent-mindedly glided on his pale, bare skin. If she would want to be in a relationship with Loki, which looks like she is in it already, then she had to be prepared for anything. Will Odin be okay with it? She’s pretty sure Frigga would be. She’ll be over the moon if she found out Loki cares for someone. Athena would be totally fine with this; she trusts him. Though she wonders how Alexis would react to the news. That if ever she tells anyone about it.

Oh, she has to tell Natasha about it. Or the Black Widow will figure it out.

“Stella?” Loki stirred next to her. She came back from her rumination and realized her perched arm was growing tired. She snuggled back on the crook of his neck. “You seem to be deep in thought.”

“I was just admiring you,” she whispered and kissed his neck. “And I’m hungry.”

He rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

Stella turned to the other side of the bed and pressed a button on the digital clock sitting on Loki’s bedside table. “It’s 9:53.”

Loki’s hand trailed her back, coaxing her back beside him. “What do you want for dinner?”

 _You_. “I’m not sure. Pizza? You okay with that?”

“Sure. I can call from that one at the end of this block.”

Stella pushed herself from the bed and pulled the blanket to cover herself. “Okay. Can I go back to my room? I kinda want to have a warm bath.”

Loki’s hand idled on her side. “It’s okay, darling. I’ll call the pizza place while you’re in there.”

She smiled a toothless smile and crawled forward to kiss him on the lips. He brought his hands to her sides and then slid down to grab the cheeks of her butt. She sighed against his lips. “Why are you turning me on again?” She teased.

“You kissed me first.”

She sat up straight, the blanket sliding off her, exposing her. Loki’s eyes went down to her bare chest, feeling the veins in his cock bubble in arousal again. She raised a finger. “Behave, Silvertongue.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “I will.” He watched Stella got off the bed, pick up her oversized shirt and underwear, and translocated back to her room. He then dropped his hands as he let out a blissful sigh.

Back in her room, Stella entered the bathroom, pulled the shirt off her, dropped it on the laundry basket, and looked at herself in the floor-length mirror. Strands of hair sticking out of her bun, and a part of her braid came loose. With a swish of her hand, she changed it to a casual bun.

Then her eyes went down to her neck, chest, and inner thighs. Red marks began to show on her. And even when she was just looking at them, she could feel herself getting aroused just remembering how Loki did each mark. She smirked and entered the shower.

After half an hour, the pizza arrived and so did Stella. She knocked on his door after he picked up the pizza from the floor below them. “You could’ve translocated yourself back here,” he told her as he closed the door behind him.

Stella was wearing a pair of black silk pajamas: a short-sleeved buttoned blouse, and shorts. Loki, on the other hand, was still wearing the black sweatpants and nothing else.

“I don’t feel like using much of my magical energy after that.” She jerked her head in the direction of the bed when she said the last word.

He chuckled as he wrapped his arm on her waist and pulled her in again for a quick kiss. Stella wanted to have it longer but he pulled away. “You wouldn’t want to eat the pizza cold.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, you can have as many of that in our lifetime.”

They settled on the couch and started eating; Stella leaning against him, and him placing his hand over her shoulder. They started talking about random things, still trying to remember if they ever met each other before the Ares incident, until Stella asked the question.

“So, what are we now?”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean...we have admitted that we love each other. That should be something, right?”

Loki’s lips made an O shape when he remembered. He hadn’t been around Midgardians for so long that he forgot how their courtship goes.

She kneeled to face him. “Are you my boyfriend? But it doesn’t sound appropriate. I mean, you’re not a boy.”

He lightly laughed as his hand went up and down her back. “I’d very much want to be called your lover.”

A smile bloomed on her lips. “Lover...that sounds intimate.”

“Would you be my lover, Stella Lords?”

She giggled and placed a hand on his sternum. “I do, Loki Laufeyson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki revealed to Stella that he's a Jotun, the ones people call monsters that can destroy the realms. He unintentionally told her that he wanted to seek revenge and end Odin's reign. Stella was disheartened, realizing that Loki was just using her for his own agenda. Oh, and, she admitted to him that she likes him since for her it was the last time she can have a non-work conversation with him.
> 
> But Loki snapped back to his self, back to the now, remembering that he had accepted Athena's call to change his destiny, to get away from Odin and his undefinable justice. He successfully convinced Stella and admitted in the end that he loves her.
> 
> * * *
> 
> So, that's it! What do you think? ^_^
> 
> ICYMI: I made a playlist for Gods Among Us. [Feel free to follow it on Spotify :)](https://open.spotify.com/user/12151441396/playlist/4NYZSjlM29SebLTUwGDv8v?si=cUS4CV6eQeWOW5cc0ZxDZQ)
> 
> See you on Tumblr! (whyispistashanuttaken.tumblr.com)
> 
> *gif not mine


	24. I Will Follow You Into The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Stella confirmed their relationship with each other. The Avengers had their preliminary meeting after discovering other information from Stella and Jericho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs of the chapter: Love I’m Given by Ellie Goulding, I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
> 
> * * *
> 
> Hello, again! Yes, I know it's not Friday/Thursday. I'm sorry I haven't posted this yesterday. I haven't gotten back to my writing momentum after being so busy with my other projects. Didn't expect shooting a 1-minute short would be exhausting. （－－； But, as I promised last Monday(?) in Tumblr, I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as I finish writing and editing it. Here we are!
> 
> Also, thank you for the 2k hits for my first multi-chapter fic! ♡＾▽＾♡

### Chapter 22: I Will Follow You Into The Dark

Loki was the first one to wake up.

He checked the sky through the small gap of the curtains: it was bluish-gray, with a few shades of white, telling him that it’s sunrise. The majority of his room was dim. Next to him was Stella, his lover, tucked under the sheets, curled up facing him, and snoring quietly. Her curly hair splayed on her pillow. It was quite a night for them. They couldn’t get their hands and lips off each other. His hand trailed on her bare back and she responded with her hand crossing his torso. He wrapped his arms around her as if someone would come and grab her from him.

It has been centuries since he felt content. It has been centuries since he wrapped his arms around someone. It has been centuries since he has someone in his bed, and that someone is someone he cared for so much. Someone he loved. He _loves_.

When he said yes to Athena, it was his way of saying goodbye to Asgard’s throne. He knew there was no chance he’d hold that again, that he didn’t have a chance against Thor, even though he was the most impulsive being he had encountered in his whole life. At one point the brothers talked about it, seriously talked about it, while they were out in Vanaheim.

_“Are you sure about that, brother?” Thor asked Loki._

_Loki ignored him, eyes fixed on the bonfire in front of them._

_“I have to tell you this, I’m having apprehensions about it, too.”_

_“Is that a jest?” Loki turned to Thor, an incredulous look on his face. “You’re the firstborn Odinson. You were born for the throne,” he said bitterly._

_“We can rule Asgard together.”_

_Loki returned to watch the flames. “It does not work that way.”_

_“I need you by my side, Loki.”_

_“Is this your way to stop me from helping Athena?”_

_Thor pulled his fleece blanket tighter when the cold breeze blew. “No. I’m not stopping you from doing what you want. I just want you back.”_

_“What if I’m not returning?”_

_Thor turned to him. Loki was unreadable: tight-lipped, but his eyes were sharp and dark. The blanket was over his head, making him look menacing as ever. Loki wrapped his cold hands around the steaming mug, oblivious of his older brother studying him. He was too deep in his thoughts to notice._

Loki’s contemplations were interrupted by Stella turning, sighing as she settled to face the other side of the room. She pulled the blanket to her when she turned, exposing him to the cold room. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier. He checked the outside and the sky was turning light orange. He thought it wouldn’t hurt to go back to sleep, anyway Natasha Romanoff scheduled the meeting at 1 PM today.

He slid his hand over her hips and settled on her stomach. He lightly brushed his lips on her shoulders then trailed kisses down to the crook of her neck. Stella sighed and slowly shifted.

Stella woke up when she felt a soft sensation on her neck. She knew Loki was up to something so she craned her neck, allowing him to go further. She placed her hand over his hand that was on her stomach.

Loki closed his eyes as he covered her neck with kisses. He felt her turn her body to face him but he was surprised when his lips bumped into hers. He opened his eyes and smiled. “Good morning, love.”

“Good morning.” She cupped his cheek and caressed it with her thumb. He kissed her again, attempting to go deeper but she moved away. “I have bad morning breath.” She pulled the blanket to cover her face.

“Do you? I haven’t tasted it.”

“Ew. Gross. Don’t even think about it.” She draped her arm over him.

Loki laughed. “Okay, I’ll find it out in the next few years. Or days. I believe it will be days.”

She buried her face at the crook of his neck, lining kisses up to his jaw. Loki hummed when her soft lips found that soft, sensitive spot below his ear. “What time is it?” She whispered against his skin.

“I have no idea.” Loki’s hand went down to her bare behind and grabbed it. Stella giggled. “But we have more time for this.”

She turned to lie on her belly and propped her elbows, raising her torso so she could look at him. “As much as I want to do that, I’d like to walk properly later, thank you very much.”

“I can heal you.” He suggested.

“Where’s the fun in that? I like to have the remnants of the feeling.” 

Loki chuckled. “I didn’t know you have that in you.”

“What? You expect me to be a goody-two-shoes kind of girl? No, sir.” She batted her lashes.

He absent-mindedly twirled her curls on a finger. “Not really that. On second thought, I think I had it coming.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Is it a bad thing?”

“No. No, it’s not. That drew me to you; your feistiness.”

She smirked naughtily then her eyes softened as she gazed upon him. “I love you, Loki.”

He brushed her curls off her face. “I love you more, Stella.” She laid on his bare chest and closed her eyes, sighing in contentment. “I could do this all day with you.”

“Me too.” She opened her eyes and smiled. She kissed his chest but something caught her eyes. She trailed a finger on fine, pale scratch marks on his chest. “What are these? Scars?” Loki followed her hand, also tracing the lines that she meant.

He turned to the windows, looking distantly. “Loki?” She sat, pulling the blankets to cover her.

He turned back and smiled sadly at her. “They were battle scars, love.” He held her hand that was flat on his chest.

But Stella wasn’t buying it. There was sadness and fear in his eyes that he couldn’t hide. “You can tell me anything, Loki. We’re in this together now.”

He clenched his jaw, not because of anger, but more of fear. He was afraid that they would come back for him once he talked about them. He looked at Stella and thought _she needed to know_. He adjusted himself, shifting the pillows behind him. He still held her hand on his chest. Stella waited for him, worry and concern all over her face. “These are the reasons why I don’t want us near the scepter again. Do you remember the battle of New York?” She nodded. “Do you know how I managed to have the Chitauri army?” She shook her head. Loki closed his eyes. This will be hard for him but his lover needs to know, she deserves to know what happened.

He looked at her. “Do you know what happened during Thor’s coronation?”

Stella slowly looked up in recognition. “Wait a minute. Thor’s coronation. I was there. Athena was there. I only remembered it now.”

He blinked. “So you know what happened?”

“There was an invasion. That’s what the guards say. Frigga then requested our presence in the war room.”

He cocked a brow in surprise, then he also remembered. “You were there. I remember you. You were wearing a white flowing dress with gold details, there were gold bracers on your arms -” he held her wrists as if seeing those there - “and there was a crown of gold leaves on your braided bun.”

“Yes, I was wearing that. That’s pretty detailed. I was just on the outskirts and there were a lot of people at that time.”

“Just goes to show that you have caught my attention even back then. Also, I heard that big oaf asked why there are women in the room, forgetting that Asgard has external consultants who are women. I was so tempted to slam his thick head on the wall but I had to wait until it was just the two of us for me to do it.” Stella chuckled. “So you know what happened?”

“It was a blur. Everything that happened was a blur.”

“It was just the start.” He locked his fingers into hers. “I was in contact with the Jotuns even before that, playing both fields, as you Midgardians say it. The only plan was to delay Thor’s coronation. I didn’t want him to lead. He was still impulsive and I thought Asgard would go down if he was in power. He was dangerous. So I let a few frost giants in.

Jericho’s words started to play in her head and she mentally shut it out instantly. “Did you already know that you were a Jotun when you were doing that?”

“No, I haven’t. I found out that I was one of them when Thor brought us to march and fight in Jotunheim. My arm turned blue after one held me. And everything went downhill. Thor got exiled to Midgard, Odin went to Odinsleep - sort of a comatose, in Midgardian language,” he explained when Stella gave him a questioning look. “Then I was made king. But Thor managed to go back, Jotuns invaded Asgard, I used the casket against them, and Thor destroyed the rainbow bridge, they let go of me.”

She tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean they let go of you?”

“I fell from the bridge, into the abyss.”

She looked up, picturing the bridge and the Bifrost in her head. “You mean you fell to space?” Loki’s breathing went heavy. “Loki, if you don’t want to tell me it’s okay,” she told him as she sensed his anxiety. She leaned forward, wiping the cold sweat that was beading on his forehead. She didn’t know what else to tell him. “I...I’m sorry.”

Loki sat, covering his face with a hand. His skin remembered the tip of The Other’s dagger slashing on the surface. He tightly closed his eyes.

Stella brought her hand on his shoulder and stroked him, attempting to make him relax. “Loki, I’m right here. You’re here with me. You’re safe.”

His hand sought hers and she held his hands. He looked at her. “I’m sorry.”

“No, love.” Stella held his face. “Don’t be sorry. I should be the one to apologize. I asked about it.”

“No. You need to know.”

Her finger traced back the scars. “Whoever they are, they did this to you?” Her voice was thick in worry.

He nodded. “I bargained for my life, invading Midgard in exchange for it. Then you were under the control of the scepter for a few minutes...to be honest I was afraid they would come after you.”

Stella turned serious, fearing for the innocent people’s life instead of hers. “Will they?”

“I hope they won’t.”

She took a moment before saying, “it’s okay. Whoever they are, whatever they bring, I will fight them.”

“Oh, Norns.” He gasped, now forgetting his fears of The Other and starting to worry about her. “No, you don’t fight them. If they were to come they have to go through me. Just me. I don’t want them to get you.”

“Loki, listen to me.” Her hand cupped his cheek. “We’re in this together, right? Your battles are my battles now.”

Hearing and feeling how Stella cares for him made him feel light inside. “Darling.” He held her hand that was on his cheek. “As much as I want your battles to be mine too, this is one battle that I want to keep you safe from.”

“I’ll still be ready, swords out, if ever. And you.” she jabbed her finger on his chest lightly. “Not even you can stop me.”

“I’ll still try to stop you. If I’m busy, I’ll let Thor do it.” He pinched her nose.

She swatted his hand and they giggled. Loki was still nervous nevertheless. “Will they come back for you? Did they ever attempt to get you?”

“No, they didn’t. After that, the ones who disturbed my peace were Odin and Ares.”

Stella rolled her eyes when he mentioned Ares. “We’ll have a meeting by 1 this afternoon, speaking of.”

“Can you not mention that for a while?” He grabbed her and pulled her down into the bed. Stella squealed and giggled. “I wanna stay here like this for a while.”

Stella turned to face him. “But I’m kinda hungry. Why don’t we grab something to eat first then go back here?”

“Or we can have breakfast in bed?” He suggested.

She cocked her head up. “How?”

Loki raised his hand to the side of the bed and with a wave, a side table full of fruits, various pieces and kinds of bread, and breakfast meat appeared. Stella’s eyes widened. “Okay, I forgot you can do that.”

* * *

Natasha was standing by a working table, scanning through a folder, while sipping her cup of coffee. She was outside the conference room where they would have a meeting in about an hour. She looked up when she heard the elevator’s sound. The doors opened and it was Stella, bringing her own large cup of coffee. Her long curls were grouped and flowing on her left side.

“Hey,” Natasha called out and Stella raised her cup in acknowledgment as she walked to her. “So you two disappeared after Jericho trashed Loki. What happened?”

Stella placed her cup on the table and patted her pockets. “Why do women’s jeans have small pockets?” The small wallet she was holding disappeared into the blue mist. “I don’t want to keep on magicking my stuff.” She looked at Natasha. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

Natasha was studying Stella the whole time she was fidgeting with her wallet and she noticed that the guardian’s lips were fuller than normal and, if she was not mistaken, there were dark marks on her neck that was covered by her hair, marks the size of a nickel or a quarter, blurred by a layer of concealer.

Stella knew Natasha was ‘Black Widowing’ on her, with the redhead having a smug look on her face. Stella raised her cup and took a careful sip from it. “What’s with that look?”

Natasha smirked and leaned forward. “Did something happen?”

Stella’s eyes narrowed. Natasha _knew_ something was up, of course. “What happened? Loki’s fine. I told him Jericho will rile up people just to get away from danger.”

Natasha pulled a stool with her foot and sat, perching her elbow on the table for her to rest her head on it. “Uh-huh. What else? Did you tell him anything?” She asked suggestively.

“I told him not to worry about Jericho.”

Natasha pouted her lips sideward. “You didn’t tell him?” Stella took another sip of her coffee. “Or did you just act on it?”

Stella placed her cup down. “Ah, shit. So I don’t have any choice?”

“I told you to tell him what you feel as soon as possible, regardless of what he says in return.”

“Yesterday was not a great time to discuss that, Nat.”

“Oh, really?” Natasha folded her arms on her chest. “Because it looks like you’re into something.” But before Stella could retort, Natasha said “no, it’s not about Jericho or Ares or anyone. I’m talking about -” she pointed at her neck.

Stella’s cheeks burned. “What the fuck,” she muttered. “You can see them?”

“Yes, honey. And your lips are swollen.” Stella gawked and brought a hand to her lips. Natasha beamed. “So, did you tell him?” She nodded. “Then it looks like things are doing great on your end.” Natasha placed a hand over hers and squeezed lightly. “I’m happy for you.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to kiss and tell but knowing that I have not covered them properly just blows everything.”

“I thought you could heal fast?”

“My body doesn't consider hickies as injuries.”

“So, where’s he now? Why aren’t you two together?”

Stella finished her coffee before speaking. “Thor pulled him to spar with him, much to his dismay. But I told him to indulge his brother because we aren’t telling anyone about our relationship.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not yet time. And I feel like it’s not anyone’s business anyway, except for you, because I told you.”

“Did you talk about it?”

Stella pulled a stool and sat in front of Natasha. “Nope. But it seems like we have this silent agreement to keep this for ourselves. We still have a lot to figure out.”

Natasha nodded. “Yeah, you do.”

Their attention was caught by the elevator’s sound. They watched the door and it was Thor and Loki. Stella’s eyes locked with Loki and he gave her a subtle smirk.

“Good afternoon, Lady Romanoff, Lady Lords,” Thor said enthusiastically as they approached the two women.

“You look jovial, Thor. What’s up?” Stella asked, her eyes hovering on Loki. Loki slightly shook his head.

“Jane brought me to this place last night and there were different kinds of cheese. You would love it, Lady Lords! You should also check it out, Lady Romanoff.” He pointed at Natasha.

Stella let out half of her breath that she was holding. Thor was just excited over cheese, good. “I’d love to check that out one time. You should tell me where it is.”

Natasha watched Loki as he stood beside Stella. Loki saw the redhead observing him at the corner of his eye so he kept his respectable distance from Stella.  


“He has been droning about it since I saw him,” Loki told them.

“Oh, brother. Midgardian cheese is exquisite! You’ll love it!”

Loki rolled his eyes. “And he told me that for the 9th time now.”

The elevator doors opened and the rest of the Avengers arrived. Steve nodded at them in greeting. Sam was tailing Steve. Clint flicked his suspicious eyes at Loki, then a questioning look at Natasha. Bruce and Tony were talking, the latter carrying his nth cup of coffee for that day.

“So, what’s up?” Tony asked them before they entered the conference room. “Do we have the location?”

Natasha held up the folder. “Not quite.” They filed into the room. Stella and Loki were the last ones to enter.

“You didn’t tell Thor?” Stella asked in a lower voice.

“Do you want me to?” He replied. Stella looked at him, apprehension was written all over her. “It’s okay. We don’t have to.” She nodded and they entered the room. She sat beside Bruce, who was observing them both. Loki sat beside Thor on the other side of the table. Clint’s eyes were still on Loki, anticipating every move he made. Loki smirked at him. Clint hardened his stare back.

Natasha stood up, crossed her arms, and said “thank you for finally arriving in time. You probably know what this meeting is all about.”

“The Castle guy?” Clint raised an eyebrow.

“That and more.” Natasha placed her hands flat on the table. “Castle was here to steal the scepter and use it to turn Stella. We were thinking someone who was working with Loki 3 years ago is possibly working with Ares too. Someone human or a demigod.” She looked at Clint. “That’s why I asked for the names of everyone involved with it.”

Clint looked at Loki. “So you’re here to identify that person? Whoever that may be?”

“I know you are not thrilled to have me on board, Agent Barton, but the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare personally asked our father to let me work on this with Lady Lords.” Loki declared.

Clint leaned back on his swivel chair, resting his arms on the armrest and stretching his legs under the table. “Then why does that concern us?”

“Loki and I are here for Ares while you, the Avengers, are in this case to make sure no innocent mortals get involved. That’s what Director Fury told me.” Stella related.

“We’re ground and crowd control, recon, everything. They need all the help we can give them.” Natasha interjected. Clint just gave her, and everyone, an incredulous look.

“Look, Clint. I know you’re doubtful with this whole thing,” Steve started. “We all are at first. But we need this unconventional help at this time. I believe Fury talked to you about this.”

Clint nodded furiously. “Oh, yeah. He did. And I asked him if he was mind-controlled by this guy.” He jerked his finger in Loki's direction. There was a blank but serious expression on his face that made Stella take in a deep breath. Clint sat forward. “Are all of you mind-controlled? Steve? Bruce?” He looked at the two men, expecting the same look of disapproval but found nothing.

“Clint, just shut up. If we were mind-controlled, we wouldn’t be alive in the first place and you know that.” Natasha glared at him. Loki smirked, amused by the whole thing unfolding before him.

Clint glared back at her before saying, “I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“Agent Barton.” Clint’s hard stare returned to Loki when the latter said his name. “I know you still see me as the enemy, but this time you have to trust me.” Loki brought his hands on top of the table and clasped his hands together. “We are facing an enemy who is stronger and older than me or Thor, I believe not even all your combined powers and resources can take him down. You need us for this.”

Clint fidgeted with his ear. “Is there something wrong with my hearing aid or this just happened?”

Natasha covered her face with a hand. “Do you want me to rip that out of you?” She sneered.

“It’s best to trust this plan, Clint. We’re facing a tricky enemy.” Bruce insisted. “We can’t go against someone who is playing with dark magic. Aliens, sure. We can do that. But this is another thing.” Bruce speaking seemed to calm Clint down, for he went back slouching on his seat, his head resting on his perched arm. “Can we proceed?” He asked.

Clint rolled his eyes and huffed in defeat. He wouldn’t argue with someone who has the potential to turn into a green, angry giant.

Bruce nodded at Natasha and she did the same. “Going back, the scepter has been transferred to a secure area.” She eyed Tony, who raised his cup. 

“Hopefully it wouldn’t see the light of day,” Loki commented.

“Hopefully.” Natasha seconded. She sat and raised a hand to Bruce’s direction. “Second, Bruce found an active tracker on Castle.”

“It’s still transmitting up to this hour.” He added.

“Wait. Do you know what it transmits?” It was Tony’s time to ask.

“No idea. But it looks like a simple tracker for their HQ to know where Castle is.”

“Huh. That’s weird. Why would they know where their pawn is if they sent him in a suicide mission?”

“To know if he’s still alive?” Bruce shrugged. “Just a wild guess.”

“Or to retrieve him?” Steve suggested.

“They’ll have a problem if they’re still planning to retrieve Castle. Anyway, we’ll talk about that later. Where does this tracker transmit?” Tony leaned forward, arms resting on the table.

Bruce pulled out a device as big as his hand and placed it on the table. The device lit up and a holographic image of a map appeared before them.

Steve parted his lips. “That looks like…”

“The Mojave desert.” Sam finished his sentence. “But why can’t we see anything? Is it underneath?”

“I tried different scans, even running x-ray scans on the whole desert but we’re getting nothing,” Bruce told them.

“I’m also working on a powerful scanner if anyone’s interested.” Tony quipped.

“If that starts working today then we can use it to scan this area, Tones.”

“That’s the thing. It’s still not ready. I’m still curing another batch of this element.” He tapped the arc reactor on his chest.

Bruce gulped as he looked at Stella, then Loki, then Natasha.

“Then we have no choice but to be there in person,” Stella concluded.

“You do know this desert is a vast area of nothingness, right?” Clint sarcastically said.

Stella brushed off Clint’s temper. “Loki and I could make ourselves invisible, that’s why we’re willing to do this.”

“But that doesn’t mean it’s just going to be the two of you since we are all here, right?” He continued.

“Exactly,” Natasha replied. “They’re going in, but we’ll be on standby for backup and data extraction.”

“What do we need from here?” Tony asked.

“We’ll check if the tesseract’s in here. If it’s not, then any information as to where it could be.” Stella explained.

Tony nodded. “Good enough.”

“But since we can’t have any preliminary information as to what this building holds and how this looks like, how are we going to infiltrate the compound?” Steve asked.

“There must be an entry point. There are towns at the edge of the desert where we can stay.” It was Sam’s turn to explain. “The only thing is, the population is so low we will be noticeable.” Sam stood up and gestured at Bruce’s device. “May I?” He asked Bruce and the latter nodded. Sam pulled the device closer to him and he typed the coordinates on the small screen. The map zoomed out and as he entered the coordinates he knew from his military training, green dots appeared at the edge of the desert. “Those are the possible entry points leading to the desert.” He pushed the device a little to the center of the table. There were fourteen green dots. “Each dot is a small town. These are the usual places the US military stay when they train in the desert. Sometimes the scientists come in and stay in these towns. There are B&Bs and motels in these areas.”

“So you’re saying we either pose as the military or scientists to get into these towns without raising any suspicions?” Loki clarified.

“Exactly.” Sam nodded with conviction. “You have two scientists here.” He gestured at Bruce but hesitated at Tony. “Well, no offense, Tony, but you’re too high-profile.”

Tony shrugged. “Yeah, I can’t get out there without being noticed.”

Thor lit up. “Scientists, you say?” Everyone looked at him. “We can pretend to be Jane’s team.”

Natasha smiled at the idea. “That’s one idea we can use. Posing as the military can raise suspicions as well.”

Everyone looked at each other, contemplating the idea. Tony raised another suggestion that complemented the plan, to which everyone agreed.

“Will Jane be okay with it?” Stella asked Thor.

“I think she will.” He beamed, proud that he had an idea that will come to fruition.

“Then we need her to be here before we lay out all the plans,” Natasha stated. “Can we call her in today or tonight?”

“She’s in the university for the whole day today but I think I can ask her if she’s free tonight.”

“Invite her in for dinner, Thor.” Tony winked at him. “Italian sounds good tonight.”

“So that’s it for now. We’ll adjourn the meeting until we talk to Jane Foster.” Natasha declared.

“Yeah, and Stella, I need you in the lab.” Tony jutted his thumb. Stella nodded at him. Tony approached Sam and patted him on the back. “Redwing’s ready for deployment.”

Sam glowed like a kid on Christmas morning. “Is he now?”

“Yeah. Be in the lab if you wanna meet him.” Tony flipped on his heels and Sam followed.

Natasha was talking to Stella when she noticed Loki was waiting for her by the door of the conference room. Natasha pulled Stella to the door and whispered, “Your boyfriend’s waiting for you.” She let go of Stella when they were in Loki’s earshot. “I’ll see you later.” Natasha jogged to catch Clint in the elevator.

When the doors closed, Loki laced his hands to hers. “Are you sure this plan of Thor’s will work?”

Stella looked up at him. “It’s worth a shot,” she replied.

Loki kissed her forehead. “I don’t think Miss Foster would be thrilled to meet me again.” Stella cocked her head, silently asking why. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when there’s time.” She tiptoed and their lips met for a quick kiss. “Now, go. Stark is waiting for you.”

“I’ll see you later.” She kissed him again on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He smiled as he watched her enter the elevator.

“I knew you had something for her, brother.” He heard Thor say when the doors closed.

Loki sighed and turned to face Thor. “I thought you left the floor.”

“I think you missed seeing me. I was still here.” Thor approached Loki and patted him on his shoulder. “I’m so happy for you, Loki. You finally found someone.”

Loki reluctantly smirked at Thor’s sincerity. It was a rare thing for him to be like that and it made Loki warm inside. “I finally found someone who understands and accepts me, brother,” he replied and they shared a light laugh.

“But I do care for you too, Loki.”

“You’re my brother. You didn’t have any other choice.” Loki sauntered to the window.

Thor followed. “Even if I had a choice, I would still look out for you. And now that you found your princess, I’ll also look out for her.” Loki looked at his brother. “I’ll protect her for you.”

“She’s no princess, Thor.”

“But she’s yours, as much as Jane is mine.” Loki raised an eyebrow. He was not used to Thor talking about his relationship with Jane Foster. “She may not have a kingdom or a throne, but she is the prince’s lover. And I believe you treat her as such.”

“I’d rather treat her as my queen.” Loki retorted.

Thor slapped Loki’s back merrily. “Then it’s much better.” He then grabbed Loki into a hug, which made the latter muffle a curse. “I’m so happy and proud of you, brother.”

“Thor, let me go.” Loki gasped.

Thor released him from his hug but held him at arm’s length. “I do believe our mother is also seeing this in Valhalla and she is celebrating for the love you found in Lady Lords.” Loki sighed and smiled when he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. “Mother was fond of Lady Lords and if she was still here, she would love Stella to be part of the family.”

Loki laughed. Thor was already thinking of marriage when he was just in a relationship with Stella for less than 24 hours! “Calm down, brother. We just confessed our feelings yesterday and called each other lovers this morning.”

“Why not? I can already see Stella as my sister-in-law, as Midgardians call it!” Thor laughed as he shook Loki.

“I’d love to take my time and cherish every moment with her.” Loki went back to idly watching the city below them. “For now she is but a heartbeat.” Melancholy covered every word he uttered.

Thor looked at his brother in concern. This is what they were afraid of. Loving a Midgardian would be as fleeting as taking care of a rose bush - one can never last long, sometimes they would wither without you knowing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ICYMI: Gods Among Us now has a [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4NYZSjlM29SebLTUwGDv8v?si=ToCZN6WOThGeex7T3wSYvg)! Feel free to save it!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken! (⺣◡⺣)♡*


	25. Respawn, Restart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers sought for an unlikely help.

### Chapter 23: Respawn, Restart

Jane was looking at Thor like he just admitted that he had bought the whole of New York City in cash. They were walking along the campus garden when he told her partially about their plan. Jane dropped her books and bag in shock.

“I know, I know. It may sound absurd but you have to trust me in this. You trust me, right?” Thor stood in front of her, trying to appease her.

“All this time I thought he was just visiting Earth and now you tell me all of you are working for him all along?” Jane pressed a little too loudly. Thor raised a finger to his lips to shush her. “It is absurd.” She pulled her bag from the ground and Thor picked up her books.

“No one’s working for him. We are working together. There’s a difference.” Jane huffed in reply. “But you trust me, right?” She eyed him suspiciously. “I’ll be there the whole time.” He held her arm and gave her a toothless smile.

“What did Natasha think of this?” Jane asked as they went on their way. “This is way beyond crazy, Thor. Beyond borderline manic.”

“Aaaah, there was quite a debate when we showed up in the tower.” Thor chuckled. Jane muttered an ‘of course’. “But things are going pretty well so far.”

Jane furrowed her brows even more. “I really don’t know what to think about this whole thing, Thor. I’m nervous.”

“Calm down, I haven’t even told you everything. That’s why Tony wanted you to be there tonight.”

“We’re talking about this tonight? Over dinner?” He nodded. She adjusted the bag strap on her shoulder. “I...I don’t even have a team. It’s just me and Darcy now. And I don’t want to drag Erik into this, especially when it involves Loki.”

“Come on.” Thor stopped walking. Jane turned to him. “Loki saved your life. Won’t you give him a chance?”

Jane shuddered as she remembered the battle off-Earth and being face-to-face with Malekith. She looked at Thor and nodded slowly.

A quick smile flashed on his face. “Now you don’t have to worry about anything. We’re going to be your team.” He splayed his hands as if presenting himself and the whole Avengers to her, though everyone was just in his head.

Then she scowled. “I-I can’t tell Darcy this. She’s going to freak out. How am I going to tell her?” What am I going to tell her?”

Thor caressed her face with a hooked finger. “I’ll tell her.”

“What time’s the dinner? I think her class won’t end until 5:30.” She checked her watch as they reached the edge of the garden.

“Then we have half an hour to prepare her.” He squinted his eyes and saw the coffee sign on a store across the street. “Would you want to have some coffee?” He pointed his Mjölnir disguised as an umbrella to the shop.

“I’ll have tea. I don’t want to become a nervous trainwreck later. But you go have your coffee,” she replied as they crossed the road.

The bell above the door clinked when Thor opened it for them. The lanky, young man behind the cash register looked up and scrambled to fix his glasses and apron that was tied around his waist. “Wow, uh. Good afternoon, sir Thor?” The young man stammered. The blush on his cheeks intensified when Thor smiled at him.

“Good afternoon.” Thor read his name tag. “Theo. I’ll have a cafe latte and a green tea for my darling here.” He placed a hand at the small of Jane’s back.

“I’m going to find a seat.” Jane excused herself and walked to the empty table at the corner of the cafe, right beside the glass.

Theo pressed some buttons on the cash register. “Would that be all?” Thor’s eyes wandered to the cake display. “We have chocolate fudge cake that can go with your coffee.”

“Alright, I’ll have one.” Thor turned to Jane. “Jane, would you like some cake?” Jane shook her head. “The lady won’t have cake.”

Theo nodded and sighed as he rang their orders. He gave the slip to his co-worker and then handed Thor his change. “We’ll bring your orders later when it’s ready.”

Thor smiled again. “Thank you, Theo.” Then he proceeded to join Jane on the table.

“By the way, how’s Stella? Is she healing well?” Jane asked when Theo placed their orders on their table. “Thank you,” Jane told Theo and he left.

“She’s recovering fine. The stab wound has healed.” Thor didn’t tell Jane everything. He just told her someone broke into the tower and Stella was the one who fought the perpetrator. “She could move around with ease now.”

“That’s good to hear. She seems to be a nice person. Like, I’d like to be friends with her.” Jane placed her mug down. “Don’t get me wrong but she’s less serious than Natasha.”

“I’m sure you two can get along well. Remember Stark’s party, you two couldn’t drain the topics that can be talked about! And she’s working with us too.”

“Really? So she’ll be there tonight?” Thor nodded. “By the way, why do you need us again?” Jane lowered her voice and leaned forward.

“It’s not my responsibility to tell you. They will tell you when we’re there.”

The bell above the door clinked. “Hey, Theo!” Jane craned her neck and Thor turned to the counter. It was Darcy. “Let me just get a cup of coffee. Wait up!” She told them and the couple went back to their topic.

“So, how are you going to tell her?” Jane asked Thor.

“Calm down, Jane. I got this.”

Jane fell back to her chair. “Sure you do.”

Darcy picked up her coffee from the counter. “Hello, big guy!” Thor smiled at her and she slumped on the chair she grabbed from the table next to theirs. “Ooo! Chocolate cake!” She picked up a fork and took a slice. “So, what’s up?” She looked at him and Jane. Her smile waned when she noticed Jane’s agitation. “What’s up?” She asked slowly.

Jane took a deep breath to compose herself and faked a smile. “Thor has something to tell you.”

Darcy took a sip of her coffee. “So, what’s up, big guy?” She peered over her glasses.

“How’s your schedule for the next month?” Thor raised his coffee mug a little.

Darcy wrapped her hands around hers. “Not that busy. Midterms will be the month after. Why’d you ask?”

“Because Tony is inviting both of you to dinner tonight.”

Darcy almost choked on her coffee. “Tony...Stark?” She placed her cup on the table. “Tony Stark is inviting us for dinner?” Her big eyes locked on Thor. “Why? And why did you ask me for my month’s schedule if Mr. Stark wants to have dinner with us?” She gasped. “Oh my god. Are you telling me Jane has a new project funded by Stark Industries?”

Thor scratched his beard. “Uh. Well, there are some important matters we would like to discuss with you.”

“Important matters? With us?” Her finger moved between her and Jane. “Why? What did you do?” She asked Jane.

“I didn’t do anything.” Jane raised her shoulders. “Thor, come on.”

Darcy looked back at Thor in confusion. “What’s going on?” She took a sip of her coffee.

“You’ll see later. But now, I need you to meet a few people before dinner.”

Darcy lit up. “Am I meeting the Avengers? Is Captain America single?”

Thor chuckled. “I have no idea if Rogers is single. But, yeah, you’ll be meeting everyone tonight.”

Darcy squealed and clapped her hands. “Damn, this is the best day ever!” Jane glared at Thor, who pursed his lips and slightly raised a hand. “So, what time are we needed there?”

Jane pulled the strap of her bag to her shoulder. “I think we should get going, don’t you think, Thor?” She slightly narrowed her eyes at him.

“Yes, yes. I think we should leave now.” Thor stood up and picked up his umbrella.

“Alright.” Darcy finished her coffee before standing.

* * *

Stella’s brows furrowed in deep thought. “So, this aether that was on Jane, is it still on Earth?” She asked after Loki told her how he met Jane.

“No, I sent it off the grid. Gave it to a man famously known as The Collector. It should be safe there.” Loki was playing with Stella’s other hand.

“You do have a bad habit of killing yourself, don’t you?” She pinched his cheek.

He clasped her hand. “I had to save myself and that’s the way I could do it.”

“You sound like a character in a video game. Respawning on a particular spot on the map when you die.” Stella brought her hand behind her ear and perched her elbow on the couch’s backrest. “Please don’t do that again. You’ll give me a heart attack.”

He moved closer to kiss her on the lips. “I promise I won’t.”

“I’ll hold on to that.”

Stella’s phone beeped. She picked it up and read the message. “It’s Thor,” she told him. “He said they’re on their way and they’re with Darcy. Who’s Darcy?”

Loki sat back on the couch. “I think that’s Jane’s friend. Thor mentioned her to me one time.”

She placed the phone back on the coffee table and stood up. “I think we should tell Nat that they’re coming. You know what to do, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Can’t I just walk out from your door?”

“You’ll never know where she is right now. She might be in the common area.”

Loki grunted as he stood up, a hand slithering on her back. “Can’t wait to have you to myself tonight.”

Stella smirked. “You really are taking advantage of the sound-proof rooms, are you?” She tiptoed to kiss him on the lips, which he enthusiastically responded to. She yelped when he bit her lower lip and she pulled away. “Now, come on. Go back to your room. We have to be ready for them.”

“Fine.” Loki begrudgingly opened a portal back to his room and he disappeared with it. 

Stella checked herself in the mirror before leaving her room. She knocked on Natasha’s door when she heard her call. “I’m here!” Natasha announced from the common area.

“Knew it,” Stella muttered and she knocked on Loki’s door. “She’s in the common area.” She tilted her head in the direction when the door opened. Loki followed her, his lips shut tight in a straight line. “Thor said they’re with Darcy. Do you know her?” Stella asked as they entered the common area.

Natasha was on one of the couches, reading Shakespeare. “Haven’t heard of that name before. Isn’t Jane his girlfriend?” She replied without lifting her eyes off the book.

The newcomers sat on the couch in front of her. “I believe that Darcy is Jane’s friend. Thor mentioned it to me once.” Loki added.

Natasha nodded. “Hmmm. I guess it’s a friendly face.” She looked at Loki. “Have you met her?”

He crossed his legs and placed his clasped hands on his knee. “Not yet.”

Natasha looked at the odd couple in front of her. Loki was wearing a black dress shirt, two top buttons open, tucked in a pair of black slacks, and black loafers. Stella, on the other hand, was wearing an olive green shirt that had a plunging neckline, buttoned-up until the half, and the lower half was tied to the front, sleeves until her elbows, paired with black straight cut jeans, and dark brown brogues. Natasha noticed Stella was incorporating Loki’s colors into her wardrobe little by little. She raised the book to cover the smirk on her face. They sat on each end of the couch. She wanted to tell them, well, tell Loki that she knows all about them. Maybe if he knew he would close the gap in a second.

“I wonder if Thor told them I was here,” Loki told Stella.

Stella patted her pockets. “I don’t have my phone with me.”

Natasha picked up her phone from the coffee table and tapped the message. After a moment her phone dinged. “He said he told Jane but not Darcy.”

“Oh, that oaf,” he muttered.

“Okay.” Stella sighed. “We got this.” Natasha nodded when she looked at her.

Their attention shifted to the elevator doors opening. Stella moved closer to Loki in anticipation. Loki moved his hand, ready to wrap it around her waist, but he put it down, remembering that everyone does not know about them yet. Not that they’re going to announce it.

Darcy froze when she saw a glimpse of Loki. “Thor!” She hissed as she backtracked her steps. Thor went back to her. “You didn’t tell me your brother’s here!”

The three in the common area noticed what happened. Natasha stood and walked to Jane. “Hey, Jane! How are you?” She hugged Jane.

Jane smiled and hugged back. “I’m good.” She watched as Stella and Loki approached them as well. “Hi, Stella!” Stella smiled and shook her hand. “And, Loki. I did not expect you to be here for long.” Jane tried to keep herself cool and collected.

“Neither do I.” He extended a hand to her and she reached out, albeit reluctantly. Loki shook her hand and when he released it, Jane exhaled, relieved nothing happened.

“Darcy, calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.” Thor told her.

“What? Why does everyone look okay? Jane even shook his hand!” Cold sweat was starting to pool on her back.

“That means everything is okay. You’re in safe hands.” Thor placed a hand on her hand, urging her to walk with him but she was frozen in place. “Come on, Darce.”

She gulped, holding her taser keychain. “Fuck me,” she muttered as they advance the group.

“I’m sorry about that.” Thor smiled at them. “Everyone, this is Darcy. Darcy this is -”

Darcy unconsciously clicked the button of her taser, sending the probes airborne. Everyone took a step back except for Stella, who slipped from Loki’s grip, and caught the probes with her bare hands. All the color left Darcy’s face when she realized what happened.

Stella clasped her hand on the probes and held on to it until the electricity disappeared. She opened her hand and gave the probes back to Darcy. “All good. You have to be careful with that next time,” she told her.

Darcy blinked. “How in the world...what the fuck…”

“Everything’s good, guys,” Stella told the group. “Things are good.” She looked at Loki, who looked impressed at what she did.

“Stella, are you alright?” Jane asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She returned to Loki’s side.

“Is anyone not going to talk about what the hell just happened?!” Darcy said breathlessly.

“Uh, you pressed your taser,” Thor told her.

“I know but -” she raised a hand to Stella - “how?!”

Stella raised a hand and little blue sparks danced on her fingertips. “Perks of being a child of Zeus, I guess.”

“You’re a what?” Jane gasped. “Thor, you didn’t tell me she’s...that?!” She gestured both hands to Stella.

“Looks like we’re having a long conversation tonight,” Stella said and crossed her arms on her chest. Natasha smirked.

“Your father is Zeus?!” Darcy repeated.

“Yeah. He wasn’t really there while I was growing up but he did impregnate my mom so, there’s that.” Stella told her.

“Wow. So the Greek mythology is real. Is Jesus even real?”

“About that -” Loki interjected.

Darcy’s wide eyes panned to him. “He is?!”

“Yeah, we really have a long discussion tonight with all the questions you have,” Natasha commented.

“I am so sorry. I’m really sorry.” Darcy frantically said. “I don’t know what came into me. To be honest I was so nervous about meeting you guys then I saw Loki and I blacked out and didn’t realize I clicked my taser.” She blinked and shook her head. “No. Thor didn’t tell me you were going to be here!”

“I guess I have that effect on Midgardians.” Loki quipped. Stella rolled her eyes.

“If you want your answers, I believe we should meet Tony now?” Thor told everyone and Natasha agreed.

Everyone walked to the elevator but Darcy waited for Stella to pass by her so she could walk with her. “I have questions,” she told her.

“Of course, you do,” Stella smirked.

“How in the world are you Zeus’ child?”

Stella chuckled. “I really don’t know. I don’t even know how my mother met him.” Stella tried so hard to recall her conversations with Helena but she hit a mental wall.

“Can I ask something? I wouldn’t mind if you won’t answer.” Stella encouraged her to go on. “Did you ever meet him?”

Stella tried to recall. “Hmmm, I don’t remember actually. It’s weird. I don’t recall most of my childhood memories.”

“Oh, it’s okay.” Darcy tried to keep out of Loki’s sight, who was walking on Stella’s other side. They entered the elevator and Stella was between them. “This is bizarre. You’re a demigod, I just met Loki, Thor is dating Jane -” Jane jerked her head to Darcy - “Tasers don’t affect you. What the fuck.” She whispered the last sentence. Natasha, who was leaning on the wall with an amused look, smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re also a goddess,” Darcy told her.

“Do you know Minerva?” Stella asked Darcy. “That’s actually her. Roman goddess of wisdom and war. We just call her Natasha.” Stella disclosed matter-of-factly.

If it was possible for jaws to be detached, Darcy’s would hit the floor by now. Thor and Loki chuckled. Jane knew Stella was joking. Natasha rolled her eyes and giggled.

Darcy gawked at Stella. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I know there’s a lot to take in, Darce. You have to prepare yourself. This is only the beginning.” Thor told her.

Stella noticed Jane was also confused. “By the look on your face, I believe Thor didn’t tell you anything about me or Loki being here?”

“I knew Loki’s going to be here but not about you being a demigod. All he told me was you were a detective from Greece who is working with the Avengers.” Jane admitted.

“I didn’t know anything about all of this,” Darcy added.

“That’s true. I was a detective from Greece.” Stella confirmed.

Jane sighed and turned to Thor. “Any more information I need to know before my head will explode?”

“He has demigod children.” Loki smirked, earning a “hey!” from Thor.

They stood in anticipation as the doors opened to the 73rd floor. They filed out of the elevator and Pepper, who was overseeing the kitchen staff, approached them with a smile.

“Hello, Jane!” Pepper’s cheerful greeting broke through her anxiety. Jane finally relaxed and hugged Pepper back. “How are you?” Pepper held her by the arms.

“I’m good. A little shaken, but fine.” Jane giggled nervously.

Pepper peered over Jane’s shoulder. Loki snickered at the look she gave Thor. “What did he do again this time?”

“What did I do...why is it always me?” Thor blurted.

While this was happening, Natasha sauntered to the back to pour herself a glass of vodka on ice. Stella tapped Darcy’s shoulder and led her to the table. Loki patted his brother’s shoulder in comfort, though he was grinning.

Pepper let go of Jane. “Because you usually leave the place in shatters and you always take people by surprise. You’re stealing Loki’s god of mischief title.” She smirked at him. Jane raised her brows, surprised. Everyone else was watching.

Thor looked at Tony for help, who was approaching them with a drink in his hand. “Sorry, mate. She’s the boss around here.” Tony regarded Pepper, who elbowed him. “Hello, Jane!” He extended his hand to her. “How are you?”

“I have been discovering a lot of things today,” she replied.

“Well.” Tony sipped on his drink. “Buckle up ‘cause you’re in for a roller coaster ride.” He invited them to the table.

“Does that mean we are going to handle sensitive information? Do we have to sign an NDA?” Jane sat between Thor and Darcy.

“We’ll talk about that later. But first, where is everybody?” He looked around and noticed Steve, Sam, and Bruce were still missing.

The elevator doors opened, revealing Steve and Sam. Darcy’s jaw fell when she saw Captain America. “Jarvis, where’s Bruce?” Tony asked.

“He’s still in his lab, sir.” The AI replied. Darcy jerked her head upward, trying to find the source of the voice.

“Call him in. Tell him he’s missing a lot.” Tony noticed Darcy’s eyes were darting everywhere. “I made that AI. It controls the whole tower,” he told her.

Darcy moved her mouth but she couldn’t form any coherent words as of the moment. Steve and Sam joined them and they noticed her. “Hi, I’m Steve.” Steve extended his hand to her as he stood across her. “You must be?”

Darcy snapped her mouth shut. She slowly raised her hand, mesmerized by Steve’s blue eyes. Steve held her hand and shook it. “I-I’m Darcy. D-Darcy Lewis.” She slowly stood up.

“It’s okay, ma’am.” Steve patted her hand and let it go. “No need to stand. Nice meeting you.” He then faced Jane. “Hello, Jane.” He also shook Jane’s hand. Steve then pulled Sam. “This is Sam.” Sam extended his hand and they shook hands. Darcy was still speechless.

Thor nudged Darcy with his elbow. “Sam here can fly, in case you didn’t know.”

“Are you a demigod too?” She asked as the two men sat at the other end of the table.

Sam laughed. “No, dear. Just your average military man. On the other hand -” he jerked his thumb to Steve - “grandpa right here is vying for the title.”

Everyone laughed and Darcy loosened up a little. The elevator doors opened and Bruce appeared. There were more chats on the table as the dinner started. Everyone was catching up on Jane and getting to know Darcy. Jane was starting to look comfortable but Darcy was still trying hard. She couldn’t shake the anxiety off her shoulders when Loki was just a few feet from her. She was snatching glances at him but it seemed that he was not paying that much attention to her. He would interact with the others but it seems like his full attention is with Stella, who was sitting beside him.

Darcy wondered if they were on the same plane. What if Stella was like Loki? A trickster, born from the Greek god of mischief? She tried to remember who it was while sipping her soup but all she could remember was Anansi. She knew almost everyone at the table, well, except for Sam, but she could easily look him up online.

Darcy was extremely curious about Stella. She never imagined demigods would be a real thing until she met her and she displayed what she could do. Darcy wanted to find out more about her, and how Zeus could manage to procreate up until modern times.

After dinner, they convened on the 76th floor. Pepper kissed Tony good night and went back to her office on the upper floors of the tower to finish some pending work before hitting the hay. Everyone settled on the couches. Darcy’s attentive eyes were still on Loki, who sat beside Stella.

“So, Thor told me that all of you are working together,” Jane affirmed. She was sitting beside Thor. Darcy was on the next couch to her left, who was sitting next to Steve.

“Yeah, we are. In an unusual circumstance.” Tony, who was swirling his drink, confirmed.

“How did you end up working with them?” Jane asked Loki.

“It’s a matter of Asgardian, Olympian, and Midgardian security,” Loki replied cordially.

Jane looked at them, still confused. “What’s happening?”

Tony raised his glass to Stella’s direction. “It’s your story to tell now, Sparklers.”

Stella smirked, amused at the new nickname Tony christened her with. “So, I guess you know about what happened in Kalambaka, Greece months ago?” She asked Jane and Darcy.

Darcy gasped. “Oooh, yeah. That. We have been discussing that in our International Security class! We really couldn’t figure out who could do it.” She shared.

Stella’s brows raised. “Interesting. What came up to your study?”

Darcy shifted on her seat, putting her game face on. “We were thinking it would be a terrorist attack. But we couldn’t determine who could do it because, according to our professor, ‘it’s a new style of a massacre.’” She wiggled her fingers, forming quotation marks on the air. “We were thinking of genocide.” Stella nodded.

“Greece thinks it’s genocide.” Bruce scratched his unshaven chin.

Darcy leaned forward, perching her elbows on her knees. “Yeah, but why there? Why not the capital city? It’s not a populous city. We were thinking it would be an attack against religion.”

“The monasteries were untouched,” Loki added. “The monks reported that they didn’t see anything unusual that day or night.”

She brought a hand to her lips. “Wow, no one had that information. So, that’s another mystery. The UN now thinks Greece is doing something to their people. But there were no more attacks after that.” She pressed her palms together. “What’s happening?” She looked at Stella.

Stella took a deep breath and crossed her legs. “Greece told everyone it’s a terrorist attack because even they couldn’t explain what happened. But we know who did it. It was a god.”

Darcy slowly raised a finger upward. “That...god?”

Stella shook her head. “Not that god. It’s my half-brother, Ares.”

Jane stopped fidgeting. “Ares...the greek god of war? He’s real?”

“Apparently, but we haven’t seen him yet.” Tony quipped.

Stella nodded and explained. “Ares wanted to control the world, recruiting demigods to seize power in different countries. This has been a long-running plan of his, and Athena was the one ‘sweeping’ his mess.” Natasha chuckled and side-eyed the men. Steve raised an eyebrow to her. “Athena had been tracking him ever since. Until he attacked Loki.”

Jane and Darcy looked at Loki in shock. “Why?” Darcy asked.

“He was after the scepter,” Loki replied.

Tony pressed something on his phone and the scepter appeared as a hologram in the space in the middle. “That’s the scepter, for reference.”

“Where is it now?” Jane asked them.

“In an undisclosed location.” Tony was quick to reply.

Jane urged Stella and Loki to continue. “Months after, he commanded his demigod son to attack Kalambaka,” Stella added.

“Just his son? But the damage looks like it was done by a militia.” Darcy fretted.

Stella glanced to Tony, who pressed another button and the scepter was replaced by an image of a shadow warrior. “This is his army. They’re called shadow warriors and you kill them by hitting the head.” Tony told them. “Well, part of his army because he still has his demigods at his disposal. Probably more. We don’t know. But we wouldn’t let you into the fight. And tasers won’t probably work on them.” Darcy dropped her head, embarrassed.

“We’re going after Ares because he has in his possession an Asgardian artifact, the tesseract.” Thor finally spoke.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “I thought that case was close and done?”

“It was stolen when it was with SHIELD,” Loki responded.

“And I need to bring him back to Olympus to face his trial.” Stella expressed.

Jane rubbed her forehead. “How did you end up working together?” She moved her finger from side to side.

“Athena made me a guardian for Earthrealm, and, since Olympus and Asgard had a partnership going on, Athena and I were external consultants for Asgard. That’s why I know them and we could easily enter Asgard.” Stella explained. Beside her, Loki’s lips twitched upward, remembering that night Stella saved him from Ares.

“And father wanted Loki to look into this matter and work with Stella,” Thor stated.

“He just wanted me out of his way,” Loki grunted.

“I’m positive that’s not the reason,” Thor replied. Loki threw a look at him as if saying ‘you know what I said is the real reason.’

“So, where does the Avengers lie?” Jane further inquired.

“Ground control,” Natasha answered. “Make sure Kalambaka won’t happen again.”

“Wow. I can’t believe this. Olympus exists.” Darcy muttered.

“The fact that Thor and Loki exist means everyone else exists,” Steve commented. Darcy jerked, actually forgetting that he was beside her. “The first time I got out of ice and they told me about Loki, I told them there’s only one god. Now I’m seeing two.” He chuckled.

“And you’re about to see the third one.” Bruce teased.

“Do I have to see the real one?” Steve cocked his head, amused.

“If you wanted to do that you wouldn’t even be breathing by now,” Sam stated. Natasha almost spat her vodka.

“Since you laid down your positions, why do you need us?” Jane pressed.

It was Natasha’s time to explain. “We need to pose as a scientific team in one of the outlying towns around the Mojave desert.” Jane and Darcy perked up and looked at each other. “That’s why we thought of you. You could be the front of the team.”

Jane was already smiling at this point. “Perfect. I have not yet finished my astronomical map of that area.” She rubbed her palms together. “I know a place where we can stay. There’s a house in Hesperia that we rent.”

They turned to Sam. “Hesperia. Yeah, there will be a lot of military men in that city because the Mojave base is about a 3-hour drive from there,” he said.

“JARVIS, pull out the map,” Tony instructed and the hologram of the map appeared in front of them. “Show us Hesperia.”

Sam approached the hologram and swiped his finger on it. “Here’s the Mojave base.” He tapped the space and a blue pin appeared above the name. “And where was the tracker transmitting?” He asked Bruce.

Bruce adjusted his glasses. “JARVIS, please pinpoint the location.” The hologram zoomed out a little and a red dot appeared beyond the Mojave base, above the map. “That’s all we could see. We couldn’t even create a composite image of the compound or whatever that is. All we see are sand.”

Sam squinted, tapping his pursed lips, trying to remember the area. After a while, he shook his head. “No, can’t picture what’s supposed to be in that area. Haven’t been there.”

Tony approached the hologram map. “JARVIS, can you call Rhodey?” A few seconds after James Rhodes appeared on another hologram. “Rhodey, I know you’ve been in the Mojave desert multiple times, have you been in this area? JARVIS, send the coordinates.”

“What are we going to do in this place, by the way?” Bruce asked again.

“Check if the tesseract’s there. Better if Ares is there. The sooner this case will be closed.” Stella replied.

“Tones, that’s a barren land,” Rhodes replied.

Tony sat on the armrest of a couch. “It looks barren but a demigod’s tracker transmits to that coordinate.”

The Avengers started pacing around, studying the map, or discussing what to do and expect when they arrive. On the other hand, Darcy and Jane watched in anticipation. A little later Rhodes showed up.

“Who’s going in?” Sam inquired.

“Stella and I. We can conceal ourselves.” Loki replied.

“But we’re not translocating ourselves into the compound. It will disturb the magical environment of that area. They will find us out easily.” Stella added.

“And we don’t know the blueprint of this area.” Loki finished.

“You know, military trucks are coming in and out of Hesperia. You could hop into one.” Sam suggested, to which Jane agreed.

“But that might be a long way to go.” Thor scratched his breaded chin.

“Maybe trucks or any vehicles are coming from Hesperia going to that location. That’s one thing we have to find out.” Stella stated.

“Fighter planes are hovering that area from time to time. They didn’t report any unusual structures or the likes.” Rhodes told them. Tony faced him and he snapped his fingers. “I know! I can do an aerial survey on that area.”

“You’re not flying in there with the War Machine,” Tony interjected.

“Of course not. Wouldn’t risk it. Besides, they don’t attack US fighter planes when they do drills on that area.”

“How do you know they won’t attack?” Bruce asked in a daze.

Rhodes looked at him, unsure if Bruce was asking the right question. “Uh, because they don’t tell us they got attacked?”

Bruce sleepily stared at him. “Right.” He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“When can you do it, Rhodey?” Natasha inquired.

“I’ll be flying to California this Thursday, then Mojave by Friday. I think I can check out the area by Monday. They wouldn’t suspect a thing.”

Stella slowly nodded. “Do we have to go to Hesperia right away or should we wait for Col. Rhodes' word?”

Rhodes was standing beside Stella. “Rhodey is fine.” He nudged her with his elbow. She smirked in acknowledgment.

“What do you think?” Natasha asked Steve.

Steve perched his elbow on his arm that was folded across his torso. “I was thinking it would be best if there’s an advance party to Hesperia to set up and do recon. Also, make Jane and Darcy visible to the area so no one would suspect a thing. We could leave as early as tomorrow.”

“Wewewait a minute.” Jane stood up. “I can’t leave right away. There’s no one to substitute me.”

“I can be your substitute professor.” Tony half-shrugged proudly.

Jane crinkled her nose. “Uh, sorry. Can’t trust you with that.”

“Me too. I can’t leave right away. I have a quiz on Friday.” Darcy added.

“Tsk. It’s just a quiz.” Tony patted Darcy’s shoulder then ambled to Jane. “How about we fix that so you can be the first one to arrive in Hesperia? At least Darcy-” he gestured to her - “can follow Friday night.”

Jane’s eyes scanned the room as she thought. “Who’s gonna be there with me?”

Stella raised her hand. “I don’t know who else. Natasha?” She turned to her.

“Actually. I was thinking Steve, Sam, Thor, and I would be the first ones to go there for recon.” Natasha answered.

Stella lowered her hand. “I was thinking of going there with you for recon so I’ll know if there are demigods present in the city.”

“That’s a good idea.” Thor pointed out.

“I’m going.” They looked at Loki. Loki held his breath, waiting for an objection.

“Then we could wait for Rhodey there,” Steve said. Loki let out a silent sigh when no one objected.

Tony sat on the barstool. “So it’s just me and Bruce left here in the tower. I might ask Fury for some SHIELD agents to watch the floor where Castle is. Might even ask Clint to take watch too.”

“When are we leaving?” Stella asked Steve.

“Tomorrow, if possible.”

“Around what time?”

Steve sat on the couch. “Midday. Afternoon. Why?”

“I was thinking of bringing Jericho back to the Parthenon so you wouldn’t bother Fury. Bring him to Athena.”

“Are you going to do that alone?” Loki’s brows met.

“No. I was going to ask you to come with me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “And I need your help.”

“When will you bring him there and how are you going to Hesperia?” Thor asked.

“Thinking of doing it tomorrow. We’ll be quick. And we’re going to find you, just give us coordinates.” Stella leaned on the bar counter.

“Sounds like everything looks good.” Tony pointed at Jane. “What do you think?”

Jane took in a deep breath. “I don’t know. I still don’t know if anyone can substitute me. How many days are we going to stay there?”

“A week or two,” Natasha replied.

“I think I need to lie down for all of this.” Darcy sat on the couch.

Jane rubbed her palms on her jeans and started to pace. “I understand you wanted to do this right away but I just can’t suddenly leave my class. If I had to be out for two weeks I had to plan out all the assignments.”

Darcy snapped her head to her. “Wow, Jane! Give your classes a break!”

“Yeah, why don’t you give your students a mini vacation?” Tony added.

Jane sat on the armrest of the couch. She looked at the coffee table in front of her when she noticed everyone was watching her. Stella tapped Steve’s arm. “Steve, why not start this weekend?”

Steve sat on the couch, weighing their options. He scratched his temple. “That could work too.”

“No.” Jane interrupted. “I can leave this week. But the earliest can be Wednesday.”

Stella gave Jane a concerned look. “You sure? Steve says the weekend’s fine.”

Jane nodded. “No. I’m sure. I can do Wednesday.”

Stella sat beside Steve and nudged him. “Then Wednesday it is,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry for not updating for almost a month now. I had a hard time going back to my writing momentum after my last acting class. I think I felt too drained of words and ideas after working on our final project. But I'm slowly going back to doing what I do even though I also had a hard time writing this chapter. (〃ー〃)
> 
> I'm also working on the next chapters so hopefully I get to post it this coming Friday or weekend. Hopefully. ~~If pandemic stress doesn't get to me.~~ Crossing fingers!
> 
> Visit me on Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken!


	26. The Art of Saying No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella got triggered over something she has buried in the past and it gave her a panic attack, almost hurting Loki. Good thing Loki was quick to bring them out of the tower. Stella then told Loki of that certain past she has.
> 
> On the other hand, Darcy told Jane her suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _trigger warning: implied domestic abuse, sexual harassment, panic attacks._  
>  If you're not comfortable moving on, I suggest skipping the 22 italicized lines.

### Chapter 24: The Art of Saying No

Everybody relaxed and sat down on the couches. Loki tapped Stella’s shoulder and she looked up to him, a serious look on his face. He then excused them from the group. Stella stood and he grabbed her wrist, much to her surprise, and went out to the dark balcony. Darcy was watching them until they exited the balcony, her suspicions rising.

He let go of Stella when the door clicked close. “What’s up?” She crossed her arms on her chest.

“JARVIS, dim the windows,” Loki said and the windows darkened. “I didn’t know that was your plan,” he then told her.

“I was about to tell you that but I didn’t know this is what Steve and Natasha had planned.” Loki leaned his backside to the railings as she explained. “Remember, we didn’t talk about the main plan with them until tonight.” He crossed his arms on his chest as well. “We’ll just hand him over to Athena then we leave.” She faced him. “Can you help me with it?”

He dropped his arms and extended them to her. “Of course, I will.” Stella looked at it and held it. He pulled her closer to him. “What do you need me to do?”

“I was planning to sedate him and we could work on translocating him to the Parthenon. Can that work?”

“I’ll need to do a few spells for that, but it is feasible.” Their fingers laced with each other. “Are you ready to face Ares in the Mojave?”

The corners of her mouth twitched upward. “I’m ready for anything. Especially I’m right here next to you.” She squeezed his hand.

Loki’s lips curled up in a soft smile. He pulled her close and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Stella laid a hand on his chest. “So do I.”

Loki peeked over her and watched what was happening inside through the tinted glass. “Why don’t we excuse ourselves early and…” He trailed off. She looked up to him and his soft smile curled into a suggestive grin.

She smirked and moved back a little. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to tire you before you cast the spells.”

He got off the rail and moved closer to her. “You must be forgetting that I am not human like you.” His hands rested on her hips.

“I didn’t expect you to be this kinky.” Her hands glided on his chest. His nipples perked upon her touch.

“You still have a lot to learn about me, Stella. As much as I need to learn a lot about you.” His voice was deep and strong.

She chuckled. “One thing you need you to know about me, Mr. Laufeyson -” she pinched his perked nipple, making him say ‘ow’ - “is that I’m serious about this.” Then something in her mind ticked, constricting her throat. She took a deep, shaky breath and dropped her hands to the side. She took a step back. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it tonight.” She smiled apologetically, avoiding his gaze.

Loki’s forehead scrunched in worry. “Oh love.” He held her hand again. “Why are you acting like you’re not allowed to say no?” She blinked a few times, her jaw clenched, but she looked away from him and loosened her facial muscles. “Darling, you can tell me anything. You can say no when you need to, okay?”

Stella tried to keep her cool but her micro-expressions gave it all away. She didn’t want to open that buried box right now but what she just told him triggered it. Now that box in her head started to vibrate. She swallowed that invisible lump on her throat. Good thing the balcony was dark, he couldn’t notice the tears starting to bead on her eyes.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that dark for her liking. The faint glow from the moon illuminated her a bit and Loki noticed her glazed eyes. “My love, is there something wrong?” He gently ran his hands on her upper arms when she folded them on her chest.

She flashed a toothless smile. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” she said in a controlled voice.

“Are you sure? Because your face says something’s bothering you.” He caressed her cheek with his finger.

Their eyes locked. Loki could see how Stella was holding back her tears and it was heartbreaking for him to watch his beloved hold on to whatever those things she’s hiding from him. From the way her jaw clenched, he knew there’s something she wants to let go of, to tell him, but she was afraid. Or angry.

She caught his hand that was on her cheek and placed a kiss on it. “Don’t worry about it.” Her lower lip trembled as she spoke. She closed her eyes, trying to push away the flashing images of that past. A tear rolled down her cheeks then she wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek resting on his chest. She took in his scent, her fingers holding on to the fabric of his shirt. She focused on listening to Loki’s breathing.

Loki held her and he could feel her anxiety building up. “Stella, darling. Just tell me what’s bothering you.”

Blue mist enveloped them and in a blink, they were in Stella’s lit room. She pulled back from him. “Jarvis, turn down the lights. Leave the night light and open the curtains.” She picked up her phone from the coffee table and sent a message to Thor and Natasha, telling them they translocated back to their floor because she wasn’t feeling well.

“Stella…?” Loki stayed on the spot he arrived in.

She faced him and placed a hand on her hip. “I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes.

Loki approached and embraced her. “You don’t have to apologize for whatever you feel, love.”

Stella hugged him back, reminding herself that she’s in the now, that she’s with Loki, that Loki loves her and here he is, holding her. “I’m sorry. I was just…” She sniffled. “I was just reminded of something that happened before.”

Loki raked his fingers through her hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “It’s bad.”

He tucked a stray strand. “How would I know what triggers the thoughts?”

She took a deep breath. “Yeah. You have a point.”

“Is it worse than me being a Frost giant?” He joked. Stella chuckled sadly. “Now, come dear.” He led her to the couch. “I’ll listen.”

Stella checked her hand when she sat and saw that she was shaking. “I hate it when this happens.”

He held her hand. “It’s okay. I’m here for you.”

Stella smiled and let out a shaky breath. She cupped his cheek, caressing her thumb on his skin. Still reminding herself that she is in the present. Then she dropped her hand. “It happened when I was in college. I was emotionally manipulated into a relationship with someone I didn’t even like in the first place.”

_Stella was sitting at the foot of the bed, watching a young man fix his hair in front of a vanity mirror. She hugged her knees closer to her chest as she watched him_.

_The young man noticed her watching and flashed a toothy smile. “What are you looking at, babe?”_

_Stella got off the bed and fixed her bag. “Nothing.”_

_The young man stood up and approached her, placing his hands on her waist. Stella froze. “You looked worked up, baby. What’s stressing you?”_

_“Nothing.” She continued fixing her bag_.

_He dropped his hands. “You keep on saying nothing. You’re driving my anxiety.” She didn’t reply. She moved to the bed to fold the blanket. He placed a hand on the small of her back. “Come on, babe. What’s up?”_

_Her brown eyes bore on him. “Let me fix my stuff, okay? I have class in 3 hours.” She looked around the room. “Jeez, you couldn’t even fix your stuff,” she said, heavily annoyed_.

_He waved his hand in dismissal. “I’ll fix it later.”_

_“You keep on saying that,” she hissed. “When will you ever do it?”_

_He was taken aback. “Wow. And now you’re mad at me?”_

_She splayed her hands, presenting the whole, messy room to him. “Who wouldn’t?! I didn’t even ask you to move in but you started packing your stuff and leaving them here!”_

_“I am doing that because I love you!” He barked back_.

_She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you do? Invading my private space and all that?” She scoffed_.

_He straightened up, almost towering over Stella. “You welcomed me into your life, right? So, why can’t I move in?” She opened her mouth but he interrupted her. “You’re in a relationship with me. Everything you have is ours now! You are mine!”_

_She took a step forward. “That’s not what this means! My place is not yours! Nor my money! Not even my free time!”_

_“Aren’t you mine? Huh?”_

_“I’m fucking tired of this shit, Nick!” Stella yelled_.

_He held her and shook her. “I’ll die if you’ll break up with me!”_

_“Fuck! Let go of me!” She managed to push him back and he hit the wall. Blue mist floated around her arms and she shook them, making the mist disappear before he recovered_.

_He pushed himself from the wall and stared menacingly at her. He raised a finger to her. “I’m not yet done with you.” He banged the door shut when he left_.

_Stella had kept on trying to break up with him but he always made his way through. He always knew what to say so she would stand down. A hundred times she even plotted to dissipate him to non-existence but she wouldn’t risk it. They would argue, she would try to break up, let him see that it’s his fault manipulating her, but he goes back into sweet-talking her to make her stop until he could get his hands all over her, despite her saying no_.

_There were multiple instances when she would be sleeping beside him and his hands would creep beneath her shirt. She would push him away from her but he would pin her down the bed and make his way through her. Good thing she had the coil transplanted in her because if she hadn’t, she would be stuck with that guy with a baby_.

Stella bit her thumb. Her eyes were stinging but she prevented herself from crying once more. Loki’s jaw was set, his eyes dark and menacing. “That was the year I tried to forget my responsibility as a guardian. It was overwhelming. I repressed my energy that year. I wanted to abandon everything, to live a normal life. Maybe that was the reason why I let it happen.”

Loki perched his elbow on the backrest of the couch, planted his forehead on his hand, and sighed heavily. He then brought his hand to cover his mouth.

“After that, I could never trust anyone again. I’m afraid of new people. I keep on thinking they might use me again. That’s why I try to stay out of relationships as much as I can.” She dropped her head. “I’m sorry. I know it’s too much.”

He moved closer to her to rest his hand on her knee. “Stella, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault it happened. Though I am furious someone did that to you.” He cradled her face between his hands. “I just don’t want you to hold on to those kinds of memories.” She gave him a shaky smile but it disappeared beneath her scowl after a second. He let go of her when she started shaking in anger. “Stella, you’re safe now.” He held her hand that was starting to glow blue.

She closed her eyes. “I just can’t believe I made it happen,” she said through gritted teeth. She looked at her glowing hands then clasped them together. Stella, come on, no need to do this. She rubbed her shaking hands together. She was feeling light-headed now and her chest tight.

Loki folded his leg under him, elevating himself, and pulled her to his chest. “Stella, my beloved. It’s over now.” He slightly bent over her, his energy on standby in case Stella couldn’t control hers and it’ll blaze up. “I’m here for you.”

Hot tears flowed from her eyes. “Loki,” she gasped, her hands scrambling for his.

“I’m here, I’m here.” He held her, though not too tight so she could breathe.

This time her whole arm glowed blue. “Fuck! Loki stay away from me!”

Loki’s eyes widened. “I can’t let you go. Whatever happens, I’ll be here.”

She frantically shook her head. “No, no, no. You can’t. You have to stay away from me. Fuck! I need to get out of this place.”

Loki had an idea. He held her tighter and he thought of the only place he could be alone. “Hold on, Stell.” He summoned his energy and his shimmering green mist covered both of them. Stella continued muttering expletives underneath him until they hit a solid ground. Stella pushed herself away from him, much to his surprise. Loki waved his hand to illuminate the place. She looked around and it was a cave. She scrambled up to her feet and found a secluded area far from Loki.

“Stella!” Loki called out for her and he only saw her back disappearing to the next right corner. He sealed the cave’s opening with his magic and ran after her.

Stella scrunched the collar of her shirt and gasped. Her emotions were running high and she couldn’t keep her head straight. She cursed to herself, taking another step until the tip of her shoe hit a rock and she fell on her face. Her forehead hit an elevated rock and she passed out.

Loki summoned his force shield when a blue spark exploded from the corner of the cave. He immediately ran to Stella when it disappeared and choked on his breath when he saw her unconscious on the ground. “Stella, darling.” He slowly turned her up. He brushed off her curls that covered her face and saw blood dripping from her forehead. “Oh no. No, no, no.” He hovered his hand on her mouth. “Thank the gods,” he muttered when he felt her breathing.

He carried her to the cave’s larger space. He conjured a mat and a pillow on the ground and laid her there. He placed his hand over her heart and assessed her. Everything was stable, except that her heart rate is still high from her anxiety and she has a concussion. He then moved his hand on her wound, closed his eyes, muttered a spell, and his hand glowed green, healing her wound and concussion.

Stella slowly came around. Her eyes wandered when she woke up and she tuned herself with her surroundings. The cave glowed yellow-green from Loki’s magic. She could hear flowing water from a distance, probably a waterfall. “Loki, where are we?”

“We’re in my cave.” 

Stella sat and felt the ground under the mat. “Your cave?” She glanced over her shoulder. “Are we on Asgard?”

“How would you know?” Loki sat cross-legged beside her.

“Where else would you have your cave?” She looked at him. “I’m sorry. I almost hurt you.” She bent forward and her forehead landed on his shoulder. Loki’s hand instinctively rested on her back.

“You’re safe now. We’re safe now. That’s why I brought us here. This is the safest place I know.”

She pulled back from him. “Heimdall.”

He patted her back. “He can’t see us from here.”

“He’ll wonder why I would disappear from his sight.”

“He wouldn’t when I’m also gone.”

She returned to her bent position. “How does that work?”

“This is an area where the Allfather has missed. It is Asgard’s blind spot. No one else has discovered this area except me,” he explained, stroking her back. “Though I sealed the opening before you let out your energy so no one can feel it.”

She straightened up. “Was it strong?”

“Not enough to rattle my shield.”

She grabbed the pillow and hugged it. “It has been a long time since I felt that.”

His hand now rested on her knee. “Does it always happen like that?”

“Not really. It happened twice before. First was when my mother died. I couldn’t remember the second time though. I try bottling up all my feelings but whenever I get too anxious my energy would flare. It’s dangerous.” She looked at him. “I’m dangerous.”

“Stella.” He lifted her chin with his finger. “I don’t want to hear that from you. You’re not dangerous, if you want I can help you with that.” His finger lightly grazed her jaw. “And I don’t want you to keep your feelings. Allow yourself to feel your emotions. If you want to talk about it, I’m always here.”

She smirked. In reality, she didn’t want to open all the old wounds and boxes. She wanted to move forward with Loki. Have a fresh, new life. But what if something like this would happen again? What if she’ll get triggered by something? She’ll never see it coming.

She slowly nodded. “Thank you, love.” She picked up his hand and kissed it.

“Anything for my beloved.” He moved forward to kiss her on the lips.

She looked at the opening of the cave. “Can we go outside?”

“I don’t see why not.” He smiled and he helped her stand. Hand-in-hand they went out into the open.

Stella turned in the direction of the water and noticed two huge waterfalls on each side of the cave, illuminated by the moon. She checked what’s beyond the cliff and saw treetops spreading for miles. Then she gasped when she looked up. “Asgard’s night sky is indeed beautiful.”

Instead of looking up, Loki was gazing at her. “When I told you the night sky in Asgard is more alluring than in Midgard, I was not lying.”

She chuckled, eyes still fixated on the sky. “You know I said a while ago that I never trusted anyone after that, I never did. I never felt safe around people I don’t know. But then when I saw you in Asgard’s grounds that night, the first time I saw you after that incident with that...asshole, I thought I could trust you, despite you being the god of mischief and lies,” she explained.

“Why so?” He raised a brow.

She lifted their entwined hands and clasped her other hand on his. “I don’t know why but I feel safe in your presence, even though you would playfully threaten to hurt me.”

“You make it sound like this is a sadist-masochist relationship.”

They laughed. “It’s not that. Well, you did threaten to pluck my eyes out. I mean, I felt like I could trust you even when you were trying so hard to annoy me. I first thought maybe because we’re allies? But I felt something deeper than that. To be honest I was afraid.” Her eyes veered to him and he has a concerned look on his face. “I was afraid of falling for a god.”

“Because we outlive you?”

She looked up. “It’s more than that.” There were more than stars above them. Constellations, planets, even a glimpse of other galaxies. Her mother would love the sight. “I was afraid it would be like my mom. Like, what if you’ll leave for good because you realized a mortal was not for you?”

Loki closed his eyes, feeling the pinch in his heart. “Stella.”

She lets go of his hand. “I’m sorry. I know it’s just more than 48 hours since we got into this relationship and I’m already talking about this.” She took a few steps to the edge of the cliff and turned back to him. “I’m sorry I’m thinking ahead. It might be a shock to you.”

He walked closer to her and held her tenderly. “Stella, please. Don’t apologize for your thoughts and dreams.” She bit her lower lip, still a bit embarrassed by what she said. “Listen, about that. Do you think I would allow myself to leave you? My dear, my love, that is one thing I will never do.” His voice cracked. She looked at him and tears were threatening to let go. “And if ever we’ll have a child, I would always be there for both of you. I don’t want my child to grow up the way I did.” Stella lifted her hand to catch Loki’s fresh tear. “It’s never too early to think about the possibilities we have, Stell. Though I want you to always remember that I love you and I am here for you no matter what happens.”

For the second time around, tears fall from her eyes. But this time they were tears of joy. She smiled, still processing her thoughts and Loki’s statement. She looked up and took a deep breath before speaking. “Loki, thank you. I…” She hesitated. She didn’t want to sound desperate or anything. But it would sound unfair for him. Loki was slowly baring himself to her, letting her know of his past, present, and future. It was true this is the first time she ever felt loved and wanted but she didn’t want to say it out loud. Her pride was eating her alive, holding her back.

She held his hand. She always found comfort holding him. She closed her eyes and felt his finger brush her cheek. She leaned to it, chasing the sensation. He kept his hand on her cheek and waited for her.

“It’s my first time to feel this. To feel wanted and loved by someone. To trust someone. I always thought I was bad at love. Relationships scare me. But this time, this, this thing we have -” She locked her fingers in his - “I have a good feeling about this. This time, I want to be with you through whatever. I meant it when I told you your battles are my battles now.” She smiled at him.

Loki bent forward and his lips brushed on hers before he closed in. Underneath Asgard’s night sky, they shared a soft, passionate kiss. Stella felt her heart fluttering. She had never felt this happy since her mother died. She knew if her mom saw this, she would be happy for her as well.

On the other hand, Loki never felt at peace until now. It was true, he was trying to annoy Stella but later on, he realized that he cared for her. Now he is sure that he cares and loves her with all his heart and soul. He swore to himself that he would do everything to keep her safe. If possible, he wanted to live a peaceful life with her, a life without Odin constantly bugging him just for the heck of it all. He is happy and in love. And he’ll do whatever it takes to have this forever.

Stella pulled away from him after a while and clung to him, burying her face on his chest. “This is the best night of my life. Having you here, kissing you under the galaxy,” she said.

Loki kissed the top of her head. “This is the best night of my life, too.” He traced runes on his wrist and it disappeared with a faint green glow. It was something to make him remember this night, whatever might happen to him. He scanned the sky. “It feels like we have exchanged our vows, all the nine realms witnessing this ceremony without them knowing.”

“Well, we have not thoroughly talked about it the first time since we acted upon it.” They shared a soft laugh. Stella looked up. “It’s magnificent. Can we stay here for the night?” She looked at him.

“Sure. So, would you want to stay here or back inside?”

“Can we stay here for a while? We can sit down and you tell me about the planets and the other galaxies.”

* * *

Stella woke up first, the sun rays warming her face. She turned slowly, finding herself locked under Loki’s arm; a thick, fur blanket covering them. His back was facing the cave’s entrance. She perched on her elbow and studied the entrance, seeing Loki’s magic still protecting them. She checked her watch and it was already a little past 6 on Earth. She slowly removed his arm and got up, stretching her arms and back. Surprisingly, the mat they slept on was soft enough for them not to feel the rocky ground underneath.

_Oh yeah, magic_.

She walked to the entrance and out to the edge of the cliff. As she went, she conjured her sunglasses and wore them since the sun was rising directly at the cave. The waterfalls were still flowing strong. She gasped when she discovered what was below them. She could now clearly see how thick the rainforest is below them. She opened her hand and conjured the binoculars that she knew were stuffed into her subspace. When it materialized, she brought it up to her eyes and studied the foliage below.

With a few turns of the binoculars’ focus, she saw where the crystal-clear water ran. She sat on a rock with one knee up and she surveyed the land until she located the tip of Asgard’s palace, glinting under the morning sun.

Loki, on the other hand, moved on the mat and he suddenly woke up when he found the space beside him empty. He sat up, looking around for Stella until he saw her silhouette at the mouth of the cave. He stood up, returned their sleeping gears to his subspace, and joined her outside. He bent to her and kissed her on the cheek. She greeted him good morning and he sat beside her.

“You gave me the fright of my life not finding you beside me,” he said.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I was just enjoying the view.” She passed the binoculars to him. “Wanna take a peek?”

He placed his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been here a thousand times now. I know every nook and cranny of this area.”

“Aw, come on. Indulge me.” She nudged him with her elbow.

He chuckled. “Alright.” He peered through the binoculars and pointed it straight to the road of the nearest village. So far the coast is clear. There’s a faint trace of domestic smoke on the east side of the village. Then he focused it on Stella.

Stella noticed and she bent backward to clear his view. Loki followed her. She bent further back until she was pushing Loki. “What are you doing?” She asked.

“Checking out the view.” He grinned. “Looks beautiful.”

Stella rolled her eyes and gave him a light slap. “Where in the world did you learn how to be corny like that?”

Loki stifled a laugh and gave her back the binoculars. “I’ve heard it from one of the Midgardian movies Thor made me watch with him. I lost a bet with him and he made me watch these movies Jane called...romcoms?” Stella laughed out loud and he raised an eyebrow. “I am not sure if there’s something wrong with those.”

She wiped a tear from her right eye. “There’s totally nothing wrong with those! I’m just surprised you managed to sit through one.”

“At first I didn’t.” She looked at him, amused. “I let a clone sit through half of it. But when the story became interesting, I watched intently. Though the ending was bland.”

She leaned on his side. “Mhm.”

“Do you watch those kinds of films?”

She brought her right knee up and gazed at the distance. “Not a big fan of romcoms.”

They sat there in silence, savoring the fresh morning breeze and the comfortable silence between them. Stella dropped her head back on Loki’s shoulder. He then tilted his head, his cheek on her forehead. At one point Stella started humming I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles and she softly giggled as he did.

* * *

Back on Earth, Darcy entered the Physics faculty’s office and then opened another door that led to Jane’s office. “Here’s your Venti cappuccino and a croissant, madame.” Darcy placed the cup holder and a paper bag of their pastries. She got her chocolate doughnut and her grande mocha then settled on the seat in front of Jane’s desk, propping her feet on the seat in front of her. “You need help?” She asked through her mouthful.

Jane was sitting on the seat behind her desk, scanning her files. Her forehead was scrunched as she read the papers. “I’m fine. I just had to finish checking these papers. They’re all subjective; I can’t let you check them.”

Darcy took a sip of her mocha. “I hope you don’t mind spending my one-hour free period here.”

Jane smirked. “You always do that.”

She bit her pastry. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

“As usual,” Jane muttered without looking up.

Darcy watched Jane as the latter flipped the document she was holding and picked up another one. Jane pulled herself closer to her desk and wrote something on the front page of the first document before taking a sip of her drink. “You know, I kinda have a weird feeling about Stella.”

“Why?” Jane inquired, still not looking up.

Darcy peeled off the pastry paper stuck under her doughnut. “I think she’s playing both sides.”

“Elaborate please.”

“I think she’s working more with Loki than with the Avengers.” Jane didn’t reply, so she pressed on. “I think she’s just like Loki. A trickster.” Jane quickly glanced at her. Jane still didn’t reply, and Darcy took it as a sign for her to continue stating her case. “They have this secret language only the two of them can understand. What if they know each other way back?”

“You weren’t listening to the discussion last night. Thor and Loki know Stella and Athena way before Stella started working with the brothers.” She reminded Darcy.

“Yeah, but what if Loki and Stella are working together in a, y’know -” she gestured as if presenting something - “mischievous way? What if Stella is Loki’s pawn or something? An ally in that sense?” Jane doesn’t seem to react and it made her worry. Her eyes widened. “Are you under Loki’s spell?”

Jane’s attention was finally on her. “She seems okay the first time I met her during Stark’s party. Agent Romanoff seemed to trust her fully, also Mr. Stark. And I’m sure you heard Thor. I didn’t feel any different.”

Darcy slowly backed away from her. “You are spell-bound, indeed.”

Jane shook her head, smirking. “Just give it the benefit of the doubt, Darce.”

Darcy slumped on the seat. “I don’t know. I’ll still hold on to my taser if the need arises.”

“You’ll need something more than that.” Jane continued checking the papers.

Darcy pulled out her phone from her cardigan’s pocket and typed ‘ _how to defend yourself from demigods_ ’ on the search bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally posted on a Friday!
> 
> I'll be on a 2-week leave starting next week, hopefully I can go back to my writing routine _for real_. I have a major writing catch-up to do. To be honest I had a hard time writing lately because first, of course I kept telling you guys I got drained writing my script for my acting class; second, the previous 3 chapters are new additions to the initial draft. I've finished writing the whole Gods Among Us series and I just edit as I go.
> 
> I know writers and actors shouldn't reveal their tricks but I just want to let you guys know why it takes too much time for me to update.
> 
> Anyway, ICYMI, I am now accepting story requests so head on to my Tumblr @ whyispistashanuttaken if you want to send a request and I will happily write them!
> 
> And, before anything else, advance Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it!


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